Sr. Rosalind Naebers, IHM, died Sept. 9, 2021, at her home, the IHM Senior Living Community.
Mary Rosalind Naebers was born on May 22, 1937 to William and Bernadette (Grunow) Naebers in Detroit, Mich. The family of four daughters and four sons were raised in St. Catherine Parish and attended their elementary and high schools. After graduation in 1955, Mary Rosalind entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe and received the religious name Sister Marie Gerard.
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Marygrove College, Sister Rosalind entered elementary education, teaching at Annunciation, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Gesu, Detroit and St. Joseph in Dexter.
Transition came in 1976 with a year spent at Visitation House of Prayer. Sr. Rosalind focused on religious education and pastoral ministry. This took her to New Mexico where she spent more than 15 years in pastoral/parish ministry at St. Peter (Roswell) and Our Lady of Grace (Artesia) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (Hobbs).
After a year of renewal in the early 1990’s, Sister Rosalind returned to Monroe. For many years, while living in Monroe, she attended to Visitation House of Prayer offering hospitality and accommodations to its many visitors. She remained active in community events, participated in the St. Mary Organic Farm, community supported agriculture and advisory council; coordinated services for sisters living on the Monroe Campus; and supported many causes for the poor and marginalized within the city. As Sister Rosalind was very generous in her ministries, she chose to donate her body for medical science upon death.
Sister Rosalind is survived by brothers Charles, Edward, and Walter, sisters Rita Kueber, Regina Lomasney and Nanette Strable; many nieces and nephews and her sisters in community. She was preceded in death by brother Gerard.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, services will be private at the IHM Motherhouse Chapel on Tues., Sept. 21. The services will be livestreamed beginning at 10 a.m. and may be viewed until Oct. 12, 2021. Arrangements are under the direction of the Rupp Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the IHM Retirement Fund, 610 W. Elm Ave., Monroe, MI 48162-7909.
Obituaries for clergy and religious who have lived or served in the Archdiocese of Detroit may be emailed to [email protected]. Obituaries are printed as they are submitted, but may be edited for grammar and style. Detroit Catholic reserves the right to refuse or edit any submissions.
