Sister Marianna   

Sister Marianna            ND 4659            PDF Download

(formerly Sister Mary Herman Joseph)

Mary Ann Rumpke

Immaculate Conception Province, USA

Date and Place of Birth:              August 15, 1933             Cincinnati, Ohio
Date and Place of Profession:    August 25, 1954             Covington, Kentucky
Date and Place of Death:            September 25, 2020      Covington, Kentucky
Date and Place of Burial:            October 1, 2020              Covington, Kentucky

Mary Ann Rumpke was the sixth of eight children born to Herman and Mary Rumpke in Cincinnati, Ohio.  She described her large family as loving and faith-filled. Mary Ann attended Saint Charles School, Carthage, Ohio, and then graduated from Our Lady of Angels High School, St. Bernard, Ohio, in 1951. Shortly, after graduating, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame, where she made her profession of vows on August 25, 1954.

Sister Marianna (formerly Sister Mary Herman Joseph) started her ministry teaching elementary school in the dioceses of Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio. She received her BS in Elementary Education at Our Lady of Cincinnati College, and a few years later earned a Master of Education Reading Specialist from Eastern Kentucky University.

Sister was then missioned for seven years to Holy Trinity Parish and School in Harlan, Kentucky, as a teacher and tutor. Sister Marianna and the other sisters there started an outreach for the entire Harlan community. It included a front-porch pantry for distributing food, diapers, clothing, and money for medicine. They turned no one away.

In 1973 sister returned home to Northern Kentucky and ministered as principal and administrator in several local schools. She worked many of those years as principal at St. John’s elementary school, Covington, Kentucky, (now known as Prince of Peace Montessori). After 57 years of teaching and working with children, sister retired to Lourdes Hall, but her ministry did not stop after teaching. At St. Joseph Heights, she shared her gift of needle work and sewing. Sister Marianna created beautiful stuffed animals and dolls for the annual Fourth of July Festival. It was rare to see her without a needle in hand. If she was not creating, she was participating in a friendly Scrabble game or puzzle with other sisters and staff members.

Sister Marianna lived her life as a Sister of Notre Dame for over 65 years. So many moments of sharing God’s love and goodness with hundreds of people. We will remember her love and concern for family, her gentle guidance for her students, her master teaching and skill in administration, her sense of humor and joy, and her willingness to do the difficult thing. She will be greatly missed, but her spirit lives on in the heart of God and in our hearts, those whom she knew and loved.

May the love with which Sister Marianna served God and others give her eternal happiness with Him forever!