Sr. Carola Keffler, IHM, 98, died Tuesday, April 8, surrounded by her IHM family in Monroe.
Sister Carola Keffler began her life Jan. 28, 1927, as Frances Jane, daughter of Edward and Martha (Motter) Keffler in Canton, Ohio. She was raised in a loving family with her sister, two brothers, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins in the area. She attended St. Joseph Elementary School and graduated from St. John the Baptist High School in Canton. Frances entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe in 1946, receiving the religious name Sister Carola.
Her ministry in education began as a grade one and two teacher in 1948 at St. Patrick, Carleton, Sacred Heart, Roseville, St. Anne, Warren and Epiphany and Gesu in Detroit. Sister Carola moved to higher grades at St. Mary, Mt. Morris, St. Bede, Southfield and St. Regis, Birmingham. In 1974, Sister Carola took a position at Holy Name, also in Birmingham, as school secretary and enjoyed a fifteen-year tenure there before moving to Gesu, in a similar capacity from 1990 until 2004. Sister received her higher education at Marygrove College with bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
While working in the Detroit area, she resided in Birmingham and Berkley, Michigan, before moving to the Motherhouse, Monroe, in 2005.
Sister Carola was active on the Motherhouse campus, volunteering her valuable office skills among many congregational departments, sisters and staff. She could always be spotted getting her daily “steps” in throughout the building and on campus. Sister’s kind outlook and active and healthy lifestyle contributed much to her 98 years, only recently encountering an illness that led to her death. She will be missed by many but is reunited with her family, especially cousins Sisters Mary and Jean Laubacher, fellow IHM Sisters.
Survived by brother Thomas Keffler, nieces and nephews; preceded in death by siblings Josephine Franey and Robert J. Keffler.
Services will be held at the IHM Motherhouse Chapel on Friday, April 11. Welcoming of the Body begins at 9 a.m., followed by a Remembering and Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. The services will be livestreamed beginning at 10 a.m. Green burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Rupp Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the IHM Retirement Fund, 610 W. Elm Avenue, Monroe, MI 48162-7909.
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