Sister Margaret Sibbel

22 January 1927 – 1 April 2022

Sister Margaret Sibbel (Sister M. Bertille), who lived her religious vocation as an educator, died at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 1, 2022. Sister was 95 years old.
Sister Margaret was born on January 22, 1927, in Butte, Nebraska. She was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis on June 13, 1943, made her first profession of vows in 1945, and final (perpetual) vows in 1951.

Sister Margaret is survived by a brother and sister-in-law, Tony and Kathleen Sibbel of Omaha; other family and friends; and the School Sisters of St. Francis community with whom she shared her life for 79 years.

Beginning in 1947, Sister ministered in Illinois, Montana, Nebraska, and Wisconsin for nearly eight decades.

In the Diocese of Great Falls/Billings, Sister served as teacher and organist at St. Labre Mission School in Ashland, Montana (1961-1963).

Other significant service: In the Archdiocese of Omaha, Sister served as teacher and organist at St. Joseph School in Pierce (1947-1952) and was principal, teacher, and organist at St. Mary School and East & West Catholic Elementary Schools in St. Helena (1963-1979). She served on the provincial team for her congregation’s Our Lady of the Angels Province in Omaha (1979-1980) and the United States Region (1980-1983). She went on to serve as principal and teacher at St. Ludger School in Creighton (1984-1995), where she later served as a part-time teacher and pastoral minister (1995-2008).

In her retirement, Sister served in the ministry of prayer and presence at St. Joseph Convent Motherhouse in Milwaukee (2009-2012) and at Sacred Heart from 2012 until the time of her death.
A funeral Liturgy was held on April 12, 2022, at St. Joseph Chapel in Milwaukee, followed by a private burial service at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Milwaukee.