Sister Catherine Lodder, OSF, died March 25 at The Alverno in Clinton.
She was born May 18, 1911, in Marceline, Miss. She attended St. Bonaventure Elementary and High School in Marceline, and graduated from Mount St. Clare Academy in Clinton in 1929.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent, Clinton, on Aug.15, 1927, and received the name Mary Edwarda at her reception on April 9, 1928, later resuming her baptismal name.
She made her first profession on April 22, 1930, and her final profession on April 17, 1933.
After graduating from Mount St. Clare College, Sr. Lodder earned her B.A. degree in education at St. Ambrose College, Davenport. She did further study at De Paul University, Chicago; Loyola University of Los Angeles; the University of San Diego, Calif.; the University of Iowa, Iowa City; and Marquette University, Milwaukee. She held an Iowa Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate and a California Teaching Certificate.
Sr. Lodder spent most of her 60 years of active ministry teaching junior high students, serving also as principal for 12 years. In Clinton, she taught at St. Patrick School 1937-1942, 1948-1949, and 1953-1954. Other Iowa missions where she taught were Denison, Hawarden and Victor. She also taught in Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and California.
After retiring from teaching in 1979, she served for 10 years in Burlington as administrator of the Ritter Home for retired women. Returning to Clinton, she continued her ministry to the elderly, serving as liaison between The Alverno Health Care Facility and Mount St. Clare Convent, and later, The Canticle. She moved to The Canticle in 1997 where she retired in 2004. She moved to The Alverno in November 2009.
Funeral was slated for March 29. Burial is in St. Irenaeus Cemetery, Clinton.
