Sister Elaine Basche
(Mary Dacian)
Born to earthly life: March 21, 1916
Religious profession: August 5, 1936
Entered eternal Life: September 1, 2011
It was part of God’s plan that in this 95th year of life for Sister Elaine Basche, as well as in her 75th jubilee year, she would come to enjoy the fullness of eternal life.
Elaine was born in Green Bay, WI, in 1916, the oldest of three children. Born three years before the Packers came to the city, she was a lifelong fan — beginning as a young girl. Her father would buy a ticket for himself and then she and her sister went to the players’ entrance where they were allowed in (gratis) in order to fill up the stands.
After attending the public school through grade three, Elaine met the SSNDs when she continued her education at St. Willebrord School. She admired the sisters and wanted to become one of them. Her father promised that he would give permission for his daughter to enter religious life when she was eighteen. Before that time, however, a candidate of the Sisters of St. Agnes visited the Basche home and Elaine’s father’s opinion of convent life changed. Elaine made a novena to the Sacred Heart and on the eighth day her father said: “If she will be happy in the convent she may go.”
Elaine joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame at age sixteen, feeling certain that it was the right decision. As a candidate, she taught second grade at St. Leo’s in Milwaukee for one year and finished her high school education at the motherhouse the following year.
As a novice, Elaine received the name Mary Dacian. After the novitiate, she began a teaching career that took her to eight different schools: St. John Baptist, Marshfield, Wis., (1936-1939 and 1953-1959); Holy Assumption, West Allis, Wis., (1940-1949); St. Joseph Orphanage, Green Bay, Wis., (1949-1953 and 1961-1963); St. Leo, Milwaukee, Wis., ( 1959-1961); St. Peter, Beaver Dam, Wis., (1963-1965); Holy Angels, Gary, Ind., (1965-1967); SS. Peter and Paul, Milwaukee, (1967-1969); and St. Francis Xavier, Green Bay, Wis., (1969-1970).
In almost every school where Sister was assigned, she set up a school library. Over the course of those years she taught each grade, but given the choice, she preferred the sixth grade. She felt that sixth grades could read well and she could focus her teaching on subjects she enjoyed. World history and geography were her favorites.
Throughout Elaine’s life, she continued to read and watch the news on TV in order to keep current in history. During World War II, Sister Elaine was asked to teach first aid to adults in the West Allis community in addition to her classroom teaching. At that time people were advised to learn self-care because so many doctors and nurses were serving in the military.
In 1970, Sister began her next career, serving as a full time librarian at St. Mary, Menasha, Wis.; St. Peter, Beaver Dam, Wis.; St. Francis Xavier, De Pere, Wis.; and St. Lawrence Seminary, Mount Calvary, Wis. In 1988, after completing ten years at the seminary, Sister Elaine retired from school ministry.
Sister lived life to the fullest joining in activities during her retirement years. She played bingo two days before she died. She loved animals, crafts and sports — especially the football games. Since the Packers played on the evening that Elaine died, she was surely cheering from her new heavenly home.
Planning for her funeral, Sister Elaine requested to be buried with the rosary that both her mom and dad held when they died. As she planned she also reflected on retreat notes that she had kept since her final profession. With complete detachment, she wrote the following during those five days alone with God:
Raboni
When I am dying
How glad I shall be
That the lamp of my life
Has burned out for Thee;
That sorrow has darkened
The path that I trod;
That thorns and not roses
Were strewn o’er the sod.
That anguish of spirit
So often was mine,
Since anguish of spirit
So often was Thine.
My cherished Raboni,
How glad I shall be
To die with a hope
Of a welcome from Thee.
– Sister Marie Rose VanDeurzen
Sister Elaine Basche, SSND died on September 1, 2011, age 94. Survived by her brother Francis Basche, nieces, nephews, other relatives, friends and the SSND Community. A wake service was celebrated September 8, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at The Holy Family Chapel at Notre Dame of Elm Grove, Wis. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the School Sisters of Notre Dame Retirement Fund is appreciated.
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