School Sister of St. Francis Leta Heese (Alexandra) who lived her religious vocation as an educator and administrator, died on July 31, 2020 at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee. Sister was 94 years old.
Sister Leta was born on July 9, 1926 in Earling, Iowa. She was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis on June 13, 1945; made her first profession of vows in 1947 and made final (perpetual) vows in 1953.Sister Leta is survived by a brother, Vince Heese of Earling, IA, many nieces and nephew, and the School Sisters of St. Francis Community, with whom she shared her life for 75 years.
Sister Leta ministered in Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska for more than seven decades. In the Diocese of Des Moines, sister served as principal/teacher at St. Joseph School in Earling (1969-1981). In the Diocese of Green Bay, sister served as principal/teacher at St. Mary School in Luxemburg (1960-1962). In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, sister taught at St. Mary School in Menomonee Falls (1947-1954) where she also served as principal/teacher (1954-1960) and served on the provincial team for her U. S. Province in Milwaukee (1987-1991). In the Archdiocese of Omaha, sister served as Archdiocesan Supervisor for Catholic schools (1962-1969), served on the provincial team for her congregation’s Our Lady of the Angels Province in Omaha (1964-1969) where she also served as coordinator of communications (1981-1987), and taught at St. Boniface School in Elgin, Nebraska (1991-2002), where she also served in pastoral ministry (1997-2012). In her retirement, sister served in the ministry of prayer and presence at New Cassel Retirement Center in Omaha in 2012 and at Sacred Heart, Milwaukee from 2013 until the time of her death.
A private funeral liturgy was held on August 5, 2020 at St. Joseph Convent Chapel in Milwaukee. Interment was at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.