Franciscan Sister Mary Therese (Leora) Lenz, 94, died Oct. 13 at St. Gabriel’s Hospital, Little Falls. A private burial service took place Oct. 15. A memorial Mass will be held at a later date with family and friends.
Leora Margaret Lenz was born July 6, 1926, in St. Michael, Minnesota, to Florian and Ida (Lehn) Lenz, the first of six children.
When she was 10, the family moved to Waconia, Minnesota, where she attended St. Joseph School. She spent two years at Waconia High School and continued at St. Francis High School in Little Falls. Leora was accepted as a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls Aug. 12, 1944, and given the name Sister Mary Therese. She was a Franciscan Sister for 76 years.
Sister Therese ministered as a religion and elementary teacher, religious education director, office clerk, therapeutic massage therapist and audiovisual director. She served in Elk River, St. Cloud, Browns Valley, Flensburg, Foley, St. Paul and Little Falls. She and Franciscan Sister Maristell Schanen moved to a house in Belle Prairie and lived there as hermits for a number of years.
Sister Therese was preceded in death by parents, her brother, Myrl, and sister, Benedictine Sister Dorothea. Survivors include siblings: Benedictine Sister Luanne, St. Joseph; Ira (Donna), St. Cloud; Jane (Thomas) McLaughlin, Cottage Grove; her nieces and nephews and her Franciscan Community.
Donations preferred to Franciscan Sisters ministries.
RIP Dear Sister, I will forever remember your beautiful smile ,and your gentleness. I am so blessed to have known her.2🙏💕