Sister Alice Roepke
(Mary Samuel)
Born to earthly life: November 1, 1912
Religious profession: July 30, 1932
Entered eternal life: September 9, 2009
Alice Roepke was the first of six children born to John Roepke and Clara Neidhardt. Of her siblings,
Alice wrote, “Two brothers and two sisters were added to the family before I was eleven, so I had plenty of chances to babysit.” The family rejoiced when their father, a Lutheran, was received into the Church, a fact Alice recalled with pride. She added, “He and I were confirmed together.”
After graduating from St. Elizabeth Grade School in Milwaukee, Alice entered the Juniorate in our Milwaukee Street Motherhouse. She was happy to continue taking piano lessons in the convent. She also treasured the name given her as a novice, Sister Mary Samuel, because to her it meant one being called in a special way by God.
Assigned to St. Mary, Menasha, after her profession, Sister Samuel was told by Mother Kostka that she was being sent there as an “experiment.” Since there were not enough piano students to justify a full time music teacher, she was to teach 65 second graders, teach church music in the upper grades, play the organ for two or three masses each weekday, and teach piano students. The experiment lasted 15 years.
Of those years, Sister Samuel wrote, “My ‘formation’ in those years was aided by the fatherly care and concern of our old German pastor, about whom I have told many stories and I am just a little worried about meeting him in heaven!” His Old World mannerisms, his idiosyncrasies, even scolding her from the altar to correct her organ playing; all became part of her cache of memories which she would describe with playful wit and humor. That she could treat those difficult years without rancor was characteristic of her keen sense of life’s absurdities, and her ability to gently poke fun at them.
Numerous assignments followed that challenged her adaptability. In the span of the next 30 years, she was sent to be a grade school teacher and principal, Aspirants’ Mistress, high school teacher, Directress of Postulants, District Coordinator, and finally Community Councilor of the Mequon Province.
After those years of service, Sister Alice, having gone back to her baptismal name, did not return to classroom teaching, although she cherished loving memories of her students and faithful friends. She used her skills to help at St. Mary, West Bend, and the Motherhouse. In 1991, she retired at Notre Dame of Elm Grove where her quick wit, jokes, and stories were a constant source of entertainment. She died after a severe fall in 2009, leaving behind her last story of a genteel, wise, gracious woman, dedicated to a loving, and yes, joyful God.
– Marie LeClerc Laux, SSND
Sister Alice received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, Wis. where she majored in English and minored in history and Latin. She also attended St. Norbert College, DePere, Wis. for further studies and in 1954 earned her Master of Arts in Religion from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind.
Sister Alice’s ministry encompassed 58 years in education as teacher, principal and church musician. Additionally, she had numerous leadership roles: community superior; director of juniors, aspirants, and postulants; district coordinator; and provincial councilor. Upon retiring in 1988, she served through community service and by her prayers and presence.
Her ministry locations included:
- St. Benedict, Blue Island, Ill.
- St. Mary, Menasha, Wis.
- St. Mary High School, Menasha, Wis.
- Sacred Heart, Grosse Ile, Mich.
- Motherhouse, Milwaukee, Wis.
- St. Mary Academy, Prairie du Chien, Wis.
- St. Stephen, Stevens Point, Wis.
- Columbus High School, Marshfield, Wis.
- Motherhouse, Mequon, Wis.
- Notre Dame High School, Milwaukee, Wis.
- Messmer High School, Milwaukee, Wis.
- Notre Dame Health Care Center, Elm Grove, Wis.
- St. Mary, West Bend, Wis.
- Motherhouse, Milwaukee, Wis.
- St. Joseph, Wauwatosa, Wis.
- Notre Dame of Elm Grove, Elm Grove, Wis.
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