Sr. Gertrud Mary Uhr, Sspsap

Sr. Gertrud Mary Uhr, SSpSAp, 92, of Mt. Grace Convent (the Pink Sisters) in St. Louis, MO, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving Sisters, on Friday December 29, 2023.  \

Our dear Sister Maria Gertrud (Marianna Uhr) was born in ESCH, Cologne (Germany) in 1931. She was the only daughter of Joseph and Gertrud Uhr who had also five sons. At 23 years old she entered our convent in Germany on May 5, 1954, was transferred to our convent in St. Louis in 1959, and never went back to her home country. For more than 50 years of her 67 years in religious life as a Holy Spirit Adoration Sister she was a sacristan. She was hardworking, orderly, and because of that the chapel and sacristy were always sparklingly clean.

More importantly, she was a very recollected and prayerful Sister. Her eyes would radiate with joy and love when she would be before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and would not miss any opportunity to adore. Adoration of our Eucharistic Lord was number one priority for Sister. In the chapel, she was very reverent and proper. She had to relinquish her beloved sacristy work after she underwent hip replacement surgery. However, nothing could stop her from keeping adoration. She would stand by the prie-dieu for 30 minutes or would take her walker and sit on it before the adoration kneeler.

Sister Maria Gertrud enjoyed walking in the garden, especially in the early mornings during meditation, even in the cold of winter with just a special scarf with pockets to keep her hands warm. In her younger years she never had to go to a doctor. Her secret? Apples! She used to say that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. In her case it proved true. Sister, despite being 92 years old when she died and was confined in bed for so many years, was still strong and healthy except for Alzheimer. At the early stages of the disease, she kept reading religious books and was so fond of two – a German book on Mary and a picture-book of the Stations of the Cross. She would fondly lend the latter to any Sister who visited her, but without fail, she would look for it as soon as it was brought out of her room. In her “off” days when she easily got irritated, one needed only to remind her that Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was watching her through the monitor, and she would be back to being gracious and at peace. It had been second nature to her to be reverent whenever she got even just a glimpse of the Blessed Sacrament!

She had become fluent in English early on. She said she first learned how to count in English as a young girl in her hometown when during the war she could hear the soldiers passing by their house counting one, two, one two, as they marched. In later years, confined to bed, she reverted to her native tongue, especially at night when she could not sleep. She would keep calling out for her “Mama” or sing aloud hymns she knew by heart. On Christmas night, she did not sleep and sang the whole night. The next day she ate heartily, but later started feeling sick. And on December 29 to the surprise of her caregivers, she went home to the Father peacefully and without any struggle. May she now come face to face with her Divine Bridegroom and receive the reward of her many years of suffering! Remembering how she spent her last Christmas night, one could say she sang her way into heaven!

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday January 3, 2024 at Mt. Grace Convent, 1438 E. Warne Ave., St. Louis, MO at 10:00am with Fr. John Paul Hopping, officiating.  Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.

Hoffen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.