Sister Elizabeth Gillis, OSF
Sister Elizabeth Gillis, 93, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, Minnesota, died at Assisi Heights on Sunday, July 28, 2024.
Elizabeth Jean Gillis was born on February 4, 1931, in New Richmond, Wisconsin, to Joseph and Alice (Kamm) Gillis. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1951, received the name of Sister Maristella, and made perpetual vows in 1956. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from the Catholic University of America, Washington DC, in 1958.
Sister Elizabeth had a long and varied career in nursing and pastoral care. She served various roles in several locations, including Minnesota, Colorado, Kentucky, Mexico, and Peru. She served as the head nurse/supervisor at St. Marys Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota (1955-1957); Assistant Nursing Professor (1966-1974) at the College of St. Teresa, Winona, Minnesota; and Congregational Health Care Coordinator (1979-1982) at Assisi Heights, Rochester, Minnesota, among others. Her service spanned from 1955 to 2009, when she retired. In 2014, Sister Elizabeth moved to Assisi Heights.
Survivors of Sister Elizabeth Gillis include her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 73 years, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Francis, John, and Edward Gillis, and sisters Anita Wells, and Alice Casey.
A Resurrection Liturgy will be held at Assisi Heights at 11:00 am, Monday, August 19, 2024. The burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery. To view the funeral via live stream, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88367423126.
Memorials are suggested to the Poverello Fund for patients at St. Marys Hospital, Catholic Charities of Southeastern Minnesota for the refugee program, or an organization/charity of the donor’s choice.