Franciscan Sister Anita Jennissen, 91, died Oct. 6 at St. Francis Convent, Little Falls. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Francis Convent Monday, Oct. 14, at 11 a.m. Friends may call at St. Francis Convent on Sunday, Oct.13, from 4 to 8 p.m., with a Franciscan prayer service at 7 p.m. Visitation continues at 9 a.m. until the time of the funeral on Monday. Mass will be livestreamed on YouTube: youtube.com/@FSLFvideos.
The fourth of 14 children of Math and Margaret (Forster) Jennissen, Anita was born on Feb. 3, 1933. She was accepted as a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls July 31, 1952; made her first profession of vows Aug. 12, 1954; and final vows Aug. 12, 1957. She was a Franciscan Sister for 72 years.
Sister Anita grew up on the family dairy farm in rural Padua. She attended a one-room school before passing the state exams for high school. She attended St. Francis High School in Little Falls. She began nursing school and in1952 entered the congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls.
She ministered to the poor, sick and dying in South America, Africa and the United States. She said, “Some of the loudest sermons I’ve ever heard come from the poor.”
Sister Anita retired to the Motherhouse in Little Falls in 2018 and decided to write her life story. During Covid she spent many hours working on her book “The World is my Cloister,” which was published in 2022.
Sister Anita is survived by siblings Marie Bagan, Margaret Schmiesing, Anthony (Marlene Brixius), James, Rosalyn (James) Miller, JoAnn Weber (Florian Ledermann), David (Barbara), and Harold (Jean); sisters-in-law Doris (Jay) Jennissen and Claudette (Gallus) Jennissen; 83 nieces and nephews, her Franciscan community and her many friends throughout the world. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Caroline Weller and husband Casimir, brother Paul, brother Eugene, brother William and wife Eileen (Kemper), and sister Agnes Ledermann; sister-in-law Bernie (Vos); and brothers-in-law Robert Schmiesing, Gary Winningham and Jim Bagan.
Donations preferred to Franciscan Sisters ministries.