Obituaries | Sr. G. Schlarman, SSND

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Sr.Schlarman

A memorial Mass was celebrated Feb. 15 for Sister Genevieve Schlarman, SSND, in the School Sisters of Notre Dame Motherhouse Chapel in South St. Louis County.

Sister Genevieve, a longtime educator, died Feb. 8 at Anna House-The Sarah Community, in Bridgeton from dementia. She was 95 and a former teacher. She also participated in The Nun Study through the University of Kentucky and the University of Minnesota.

An Illinois native, she entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1932 and professed first vows in 1935 and final vows in 1941. She celebrated 75 years as a School Sister of Notre Dame in 2010. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1945 and a master's in secondary education in 1954, both from St. Louis University, and a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., in 1964.

Sister Genevieve was an educator for 66 years, serving in Missouri, Texas, Illinois and Iowa. In the St. Louis Archdiocese, she served at St. Peter School in St. Charles, 1935-37, and Rosati-Kain High School in St. Louis, 1962-63. Locally she also served at Althoff High School in Belleville, Ill., 1972-85; Mater Dei High School in Breese, Ill., 1985-92; and St. Paul High School in Highland, Ill., 1963-66. Following her retirement, Sister Genevieve was a volunteer tutor at Rosary High School and Notre Dame Learning Center in St. Louis.

As a participant in The Nun Study, Sister Genevieve was one of 678 School Sisters of Notre Dame who helped scientists learn about the aging process and Alzheimer's disease. The researchers studied her early life, lifestyle, education, and physical and mental abilities. As part of the study, an autopsy of her brain will be performed in order to conclusively diagnose Alzheimer's disease.

Sister Genevieve donated her body to St. Louis University School of Medicine. She had no immediate survivors.