Submitted by Cheney Witt Funeral Home
Sister Mary Bernadette Karleskint, age 99, a former resident of Fort Scott, Kans., and more recently of St. Louis, Mo., passed away Saturday, May 6, 2017, four days prior to her 100th birthday.
She was born Anna Cecilia Karleskint on May 9, 1917, in Miami, Okla., the daughter of Joseph Karleskint and Mary Hickman Karleskint. She was one of eight children. Sister Mary Bernadette, as she was known in religious life, entered the Sisters of Mercy on June 23, 1935, and pronounced Perpetual Vows on August 16, 1941, in Webster Groves, Mo. Sister Mary Bernadette ministered in education as a teacher and administrator in Kansas, Louisiana, Texas and Missouri. Among her positions, she served as principal and as a school superintendent in Fredonia and Walnut, Kans. After retiring from education, she volunteered at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Mo. When sister formally retired again, she moved to Catherine’s Residence, the retirement home for the Sisters of Mercy in St. Louis, Mo.
Sister’s ministry of prayer was a daily priority for her and she frequently prayed for the community as well as the needs of the world.
Father Robert Wachter will conduct Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the St. Mary’s Cemetery. Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.