Sister Mary Jovita (Irene) Wald, 80, died on January 4, 2009, at St. Francis Convent, Little Falls, Minn.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Francis Convent on Thursday, January 8, at 11 a.m. Friends may call at St. Francis Convent on Wednesday, January 7, from 4 - 8:30 p.m. and from 8:30 a.m. until the time of the funeral on Thursday. A wake service will be held at the Convent at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7. Arrangements are by the Shelley Funeral Chapel, Little Falls.

Sister Jovita was born on May 12, 1928, near Napoleon, N. Dak. She was the last of 12 children born to the late Markus and Mary Ann (Bernhardt) Wald. She was accepted as a Franciscan Sister on August 12, 1946. She made first profession of vows on August 12, 1948, and final vows on August 12, 1951. She was a Franciscan Sister for 62 years.


Sister Jovita ministered as house parent, religion teacher, nurse, and parish minister. She served in St. Cloud, Browns Valley, Little Falls, St. Paul, Alexandria, Sauk Centre, Moorhead, Breckenridge, Minn. and Madison, Hewitt and Marshfield, Wis.
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Sister Jovita was preceded in death by siblings: Elizabeth Braun, Sister Agatha, OSB, Christine Wangler, Mary Wangler, Rose Weigel, Stanley, James and Markus. Survivors include siblings: Zita Kuss, Bismarck, N. Dak.; Sister Imelda, OSF, Hankinson, N. Dak.; Sister Gerard, OSF, Little Falls, Minn.; many nieces and nephews and her Franciscan Community.