February 20, 1928 – October 14, 2023
Sr. M. Elmara was born on February 20, 1928 in Mittersthal (Oberpfalz). She was the ninth child of the farmer couple Josef and Maria Sippl, née Seitz. She was baptised on February 20, 1928 in the parish church in Deining with the name Margareta.
Sr. Elmara grew up in Mittersthal with five siblings, three of whom chose the religious vocation. They lived in other communities. Sr. Elmara attended the primary school in Deining and then the vocational school.
On April 22, 1946, she joined the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother in Abenberg and was trained as a kindergarten teacher.
On August 12, 1948 she was invested and given the name Sr. M. Elmara.
She made her first holy profession in 1950 and after five years – in 1955 – her perpetual profession.
After the novitiate, Sr. Elmara worked as a kindergarten teacher in Burgoberbach for three years.
In 1953 she was transferred to Schwabach, and when the branch in Altdorf was opened in May 1957, she started in the kindergarten there.
On February 18, 1964, she was transferred to Abenberg. In Abenberg she took over the supervision of the candidates and from 1965 to 1983 she was novice director. She suffered from the fact that she was given this office without any training.
The Second Vatican Council called on the religious communities to renew themselves. Sr. M. Elmara was appointed to the commission that had to revise the Constitutions. During this time, she often spent months in the USA.
In 1983 she was transferred to Eichstätt to the Mother and Child Health Centre. During this time, she completed additional training for health resort and home directors and took over the management of the Stilla Mother and Child Health Resort in 1987. Long after her departure from Eichstätt, she remained in loving contact with the mothers and helped them with words and deeds.
Sr. Elmara was very humorous and loved socialising and community life. She embellished many holidays with her artistic skills and also through poems, theatre performances, carnival celebrations, etc.
She endured her long suffering with patience, especially the last few years when she was confined to bed and dependent on all help. She never lost her hearty laugh.
Her health deteriorated in the last few days and she passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
On Wednesday, October 18, 2023, she was buried in the Sisters’ Cemetery in Abenberg, after which we celebrated the requiem in the Stilla Church. Her nephews and niece, fellow nurses and colleagues were able to say goodbye to her.
Rest in peace!
Submitted by Sr. Beate Nieberler