Sister Mary Gameliel Althoff

Her parents immigrated to the United States from Germany. She was baptized Mary. She was the oldest of eleven children. The family moved to a farm near Ellsworth, Minnesota, when Mary was eight years old. Mary attended the Catholic school in Burlington only one year. In Minnesota, due to transportation difficulties, she was obliged to go to the district school until she was about fourteen.
Mary always had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later in life she was told by her baptismal sponsor, who was her grandmother, that she carried her, when newly baptized, to the Blessed Virgin altar and consecrated her to Our Blessed Mother.

Mary entered the Notre Dame Convent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1904. On September 1, 1905, Mary was sent to St. Peter, Chicago, to teach the little ones. She did not find this task too difficult since she had learned from experience how to govern children in her family. (After her mother’s death she lovingly cared for her brothers and sisters until her entrance into the convent.) On May 15, 1906, Mary became known as Sister Mary Gameliel, and received the School Sisters of Notre Dame habit. After two years as a novice, Sister pronounced her first vows on July 29, 1908. She made her final profession of vows on July 22, 1915. Sister Gameliel taught school for thirty years, most of which were at St. Peter in Chicago. Always conscientious and kind, her pupils loved her and inquired about her years after she was no longer at the place where she taught.

Poor health forced Sister to give up teaching at age 61. She moved to Our Lady of Elm Grove Retirement Center near Milwaukee. There she tried to make herself useful by helping to peel vegetables and apples, as well as in assisting to serve other Sisters more helpless than she was. Sister Gameliel possessed a keen sense of humor and could always enjoy a joke even though at her own expense. She was a tireless worker and her spirit of self-sacrifice was admirable. In March, 1943, Sister Gameliel had a severe attack of the flu during which she suffered a partial stroke. Gradually she lost the use of her vocal organs and became almost helpless. On October 21, 1947, Sister died a peaceful death. Her body now rests in the Elm Grove Cemetery.


Beloved sister of Sister Michaelis Althoff SSND and Sister Beatrix Althoff SSND