Rita Caroline Kroska, 90, of Tucson, Ariz., died peacefully on Jan. 28, 2012.
She was born July 6,1921, to Anthony and Alma Kroska in Duelm, Minn. The family moved to Faribault where she lived until graduating from Faribault High School in 1939.
She attended St. Cloud Hospital School of Nursing where she earned her registered nursing diploma. Following this she achieved a B.S. degree in Public Health Nursing from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. In 1945 she entered the convent joining the Medical Mission Sisters in Fox Chase, Pa., where she chose the name Sr. Judith. She was sent to New Mexico to study and become a nurse midwife. She became a certified nurse-midwife and later became a founding member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 1955. She taught midwifery from 1949-1954 at the Catholic Maternity Institute of Sante Fe, N.M. From 1954-56 she pursued a Masters degree in Nursing Education again at Catholic University. In 1956, she returned to the lay life where she taught maternity nursing at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul.
She received a fellowship in 1959 from the National League for Nursing to study Anthropology, from the University of Minnesota. She received her doctorate in anthropology in 1965. While working on this achievement she also completed a Masters in Public Health Nursing also at the University of Minnesota. Following her dream of applying anthropological concepts to the profession of nursing she taught courses at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, the University of New Mexico, Marquette University, the College of Saint Teresa and the University of Texas, El Paso.
From 1982-83 she held the Anise J. Sorrell Chair in Nursing, as the distinguished Visiting Professor at Troy State University in Troy, Ala. She returned to the University of Texas, El Paso in 1983 for one more year, before retiring in 1984.
She is listed in the Who's Who in American Women and was a pioneer and innovator in the development of nurse-midwifery education and practice, as well as maternity nursing. She was one of four who signed the Incorporation of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 1955 whose emblem on their logo was designed by her. The last few years of her life she was dedicated to documenting her experiences as a midwife, authoring a book on the history of nurse midwifery.
Dr. Kroska is survived by her oldest brother, Kenneth of Tucson, Ariz. She is also survived by numerous nephews and nieces including, Luanne Koshire of Rochester, Shelly Kuhlmann of Oronoco and Amy Kroska of Norman, Okla.; and sister-in-law, Angie Kroska of Rochester. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Lucian "Dick", Robert and Ralph.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault, with visitation at 3:30 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault.
Memorials are suggested to Bethlehem Academy in Faribault.
She was born July 6,1921, to Anthony and Alma Kroska in Duelm, Minn. The family moved to Faribault where she lived until graduating from Faribault High School in 1939.
She attended St. Cloud Hospital School of Nursing where she earned her registered nursing diploma. Following this she achieved a B.S. degree in Public Health Nursing from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. In 1945 she entered the convent joining the Medical Mission Sisters in Fox Chase, Pa., where she chose the name Sr. Judith. She was sent to New Mexico to study and become a nurse midwife. She became a certified nurse-midwife and later became a founding member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 1955. She taught midwifery from 1949-1954 at the Catholic Maternity Institute of Sante Fe, N.M. From 1954-56 she pursued a Masters degree in Nursing Education again at Catholic University. In 1956, she returned to the lay life where she taught maternity nursing at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul.
She received a fellowship in 1959 from the National League for Nursing to study Anthropology, from the University of Minnesota. She received her doctorate in anthropology in 1965. While working on this achievement she also completed a Masters in Public Health Nursing also at the University of Minnesota. Following her dream of applying anthropological concepts to the profession of nursing she taught courses at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, the University of New Mexico, Marquette University, the College of Saint Teresa and the University of Texas, El Paso.
From 1982-83 she held the Anise J. Sorrell Chair in Nursing, as the distinguished Visiting Professor at Troy State University in Troy, Ala. She returned to the University of Texas, El Paso in 1983 for one more year, before retiring in 1984.
She is listed in the Who's Who in American Women and was a pioneer and innovator in the development of nurse-midwifery education and practice, as well as maternity nursing. She was one of four who signed the Incorporation of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 1955 whose emblem on their logo was designed by her. The last few years of her life she was dedicated to documenting her experiences as a midwife, authoring a book on the history of nurse midwifery.
Dr. Kroska is survived by her oldest brother, Kenneth of Tucson, Ariz. She is also survived by numerous nephews and nieces including, Luanne Koshire of Rochester, Shelly Kuhlmann of Oronoco and Amy Kroska of Norman, Okla.; and sister-in-law, Angie Kroska of Rochester. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Lucian "Dick", Robert and Ralph.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault, with visitation at 3:30 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault.
Memorials are suggested to Bethlehem Academy in Faribault.
Rita Caroline Kroska, 90, of Tucson, Ariz., died peacefully on Jan. 28, 2012.
She was born July 6,1921, to Anthony and Alma Kroska in Duelm, Minn. The family moved to Faribault where she lived until graduating from Faribault High School in 1939.
She attended St. Cloud Hospital School of Nursing where she earned her registered nursing diploma. Following this she achieved a B.S. degree in Public Health Nursing from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. In 1945 she entered the convent joining the Medical Mission Sisters in Fox Chase, Pa., where she chose the name Sr. Judith. She was sent to New Mexico to study and become a nurse midwife. She became a certified nurse-midwife and later became a founding member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 1955. She taught midwifery from 1949-1954 at the Catholic Maternity Institute of Sante Fe, N.M. From 1954-56 she pursued a Masters degree in Nursing Education again at Catholic University. In 1956, she returned to the lay life where she taught maternity nursing at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul.
She received a fellowship in 1959 from the National League for Nursing to study Anthropology, from the University of Minnesota. She received her doctorate in anthropology in 1965. While working on this achievement she also completed a Masters in Public Health Nursing also at the University of Minnesota. Following her dream of applying anthropological concepts to the profession of nursing she taught courses at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, the University of New Mexico, Marquette University, the College of Saint Teresa and the University of Texas, El Paso.
From 1982-83 she held the Anise J. Sorrell Chair in Nursing, as the distinguished Visiting Professor at Troy State University in Troy, Ala. She returned to the University of Texas, El Paso in 1983 for one more year, before retiring in 1984.
She is listed in the Who's Who in American Women and was a pioneer and innovator in the development of nurse-midwifery education and practice, as well as maternity nursing. She was one of four who signed the Incorporation of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 1955 whose emblem on their logo was designed by her. The last few years of her life she was dedicated to documenting her experiences as a midwife, authoring a book on the history of nurse midwifery.
Dr. Kroska is survived by her oldest brother, Kenneth of Tucson, Ariz. She is also survived by numerous nephews and nieces including, Luanne Koshire of Rochester, Shelly Kuhlmann of Oronoco and Amy Kroska of Norman, Okla.; and sister-in-law, Angie Kroska of Rochester. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Lucian "Dick", Robert and Ralph.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault, with visitation at 3:30 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault.
Memorials are suggested to Bethlehem Academy in Faribault.
She was born July 6,1921, to Anthony and Alma Kroska in Duelm, Minn. The family moved to Faribault where she lived until graduating from Faribault High School in 1939.
She attended St. Cloud Hospital School of Nursing where she earned her registered nursing diploma. Following this she achieved a B.S. degree in Public Health Nursing from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. In 1945 she entered the convent joining the Medical Mission Sisters in Fox Chase, Pa., where she chose the name Sr. Judith. She was sent to New Mexico to study and become a nurse midwife. She became a certified nurse-midwife and later became a founding member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 1955. She taught midwifery from 1949-1954 at the Catholic Maternity Institute of Sante Fe, N.M. From 1954-56 she pursued a Masters degree in Nursing Education again at Catholic University. In 1956, she returned to the lay life where she taught maternity nursing at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul.
She received a fellowship in 1959 from the National League for Nursing to study Anthropology, from the University of Minnesota. She received her doctorate in anthropology in 1965. While working on this achievement she also completed a Masters in Public Health Nursing also at the University of Minnesota. Following her dream of applying anthropological concepts to the profession of nursing she taught courses at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, the University of New Mexico, Marquette University, the College of Saint Teresa and the University of Texas, El Paso.
From 1982-83 she held the Anise J. Sorrell Chair in Nursing, as the distinguished Visiting Professor at Troy State University in Troy, Ala. She returned to the University of Texas, El Paso in 1983 for one more year, before retiring in 1984.
She is listed in the Who's Who in American Women and was a pioneer and innovator in the development of nurse-midwifery education and practice, as well as maternity nursing. She was one of four who signed the Incorporation of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 1955 whose emblem on their logo was designed by her. The last few years of her life she was dedicated to documenting her experiences as a midwife, authoring a book on the history of nurse midwifery.
Dr. Kroska is survived by her oldest brother, Kenneth of Tucson, Ariz. She is also survived by numerous nephews and nieces including, Luanne Koshire of Rochester, Shelly Kuhlmann of Oronoco and Amy Kroska of Norman, Okla.; and sister-in-law, Angie Kroska of Rochester. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Lucian "Dick", Robert and Ralph.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault, with visitation at 3:30 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault.
Memorials are suggested to Bethlehem Academy in Faribault.
Gravesite Details
PAR. ANTHONY JOHN & ALMA MARY HERBST KROSKA
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