On August 2, 2021, her 97th birthday,
our dear friend, Marcelline Niemann,
moved gracefully into her next life, now free of the limits of her aging body. One of six children, she was born in Burlington, Iowa, into a gifted family of strong Midwesterners. She is survived by her brother, John; and was predeceased by her parents, Theodore and Florence; and by her brothers, Paul and Mark; and sisters, Mary Beth and Anne. Marcelline loved opera, parties and dancing, but at the age of 18, she followed her older sister and joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM), committing her life to education. After many years of service in Iowa, Illinois, California and Oklahoma, she left the BVM community to continue a life dedicated to helping others through education, spiritual guidance, working for social justice, healing the planet and supporting incarcerated men and women, especially those on death row. Anyone who met her felt her love, acceptance and care for them. When we picture Marcelline, we see her in a flowing, colorful dress and having fun, dancing and enjoying a bit of amber in her glass, while a book of poetry rests on a nearby table and the dream of a sweet dog in a chair. A celebration of her life will take place in September at a time and location to be decided…
our dear friend, Marcelline Niemann,
moved gracefully into her next life, now free of the limits of her aging body. One of six children, she was born in Burlington, Iowa, into a gifted family of strong Midwesterners. She is survived by her brother, John; and was predeceased by her parents, Theodore and Florence; and by her brothers, Paul and Mark; and sisters, Mary Beth and Anne. Marcelline loved opera, parties and dancing, but at the age of 18, she followed her older sister and joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM), committing her life to education. After many years of service in Iowa, Illinois, California and Oklahoma, she left the BVM community to continue a life dedicated to helping others through education, spiritual guidance, working for social justice, healing the planet and supporting incarcerated men and women, especially those on death row. Anyone who met her felt her love, acceptance and care for them. When we picture Marcelline, we see her in a flowing, colorful dress and having fun, dancing and enjoying a bit of amber in her glass, while a book of poetry rests on a nearby table and the dream of a sweet dog in a chair. A celebration of her life will take place in September at a time and location to be decided…
