Wilma Louis Fitzgerald, SP
October 31, 1928 - September 15, 2013
Obituary
Sister Wilma Louis Fitzgerald, SP
(Name in Religion: Sister Lidwine, SP)
Sister Wilma Louis Fitzgerald, SP died Sunday, September 15, 2013, at St. Joseph Residence, Seattle, WA, at 84 years of age after 66 years as a Sister of Providence. Vigil Service: Monday, Sept. 23, 2013, 7:00 p.m., St. Joseph Residence, 4800 37th Ave. S.W., Seattle, WA. Funeral Mass: Tuesday, Sept. 24, 3013, 11:00 a.m., St. Joseph Residence, 4800 37th Ave. S.W., Seattle, WA. Burial: the internment at Holy Cross Cemetery, Spokane, WA will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
Born October 31, 1928 in Mansfield, WA, Sr. Wilma was the second of four children born to Roy L. Fitzgerald and Myrtle Marie Housden Fitzgerald. Her father was a farmer, and her mother was a homemaker.
Sister Wilma attended elementary grades in Mansfield, WA and graduated from high school at Holy Names Academy in Spokane, WA, in 1946.
She entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Providence January 1947, made first profession November 1948, and final vows in 1951.
Her academic accomplishments included:
- Bachelor of Arts in English and Art, College (now University) of Great Falls, in Great Falls, MT – 1957;
- Earned Elementary Teaching certificate in the State of MT -1960, and Secondary School Teaching Certificate, also in the State of MT, in 1964.
- Masters in Latin and Greek, St. Louis MO – 1962;
- PhD in Latin, Greek Art and Archaeology in 1967.
As an Instructor, Assistant Professor and (1967 – 1969) Chairperson of the Department of Foreign Language, Sr. Wilma taught English, Latin, Greek, Spanish, History, Religion, and Art in private Secondary Schools: Sacred Heart Academy and Loyola High School, Missoula, MT.
During three summers, Sr. Wilma catalogued manuscripts of Austrian Monasteries at the Hill Monastic Microfilm Library, Collegeville, MN.
Sr. Wilma also complete research on 1) a “discovered” monastic breviary from the Brugge area, 2) the content of early homilitie /sermon manuscripts for the Vatican Library Palatine Collection (with the assistance of an Andrew Mellon Grant), and 3) worked on the unpublished Vitae Sactorum of Bartholomew Publications.
Sister Wilma’s ministry and teaching assignments included:
- The College (now University) of Great Falls and St. Thomas Home, Great Falls, MT, 1949, 1955-56;
- Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Wallace, Idaho, 1949-50, 1952 – 55;
- Providence Mary Immaculate School, DeSmet Idaho, 1050 – 51;
- St. Francis Xavier School, Missoula, MT, 1951 – 52;
- Sacred Heart Academy, Missoula, MT, 1956 – 60; 1969-70;
- College (now University) of Great Falls, MT,
- Instructor in World History, Latin, Greek and Spanish 1962-63,
- Instructor 1956-69,
- Chairperson of Department of Languages 1968-69;
- Maryvale Preparatory School, Baltimore, MD, teacher 1970-71;
- Research Associate at Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto, Ont., 1971-73,
- Co-editor of Greek Index Project, research in France and Belgium for this project 1971-73;
- Junior Fellow Pontifical Institute 1973-76 in charge of obtaining microfilm copies of mediaeval manuscripts and their subsequent cataloging;
- Senior Fellow Pontifical Institute 1977-89; research in Oxford, London, Cambridge, England;
- Mellon Grant work inventorying ninth-century sermon manuscripts 1990; Instructor in Mediaeval paleography, University of Montana, Missoula MT 1992;
- Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN, serving as the American Scholarly Editor for In Principio, a joint venture on manuscript text identification in collaboration with the Institut de Recherche et d’Histoir des Textes, Paris, 1992-97.
- Since 1997, Sr. Wilma did independent research in manuscripts at several locations.
Her professional activities included lectures, and publications including one book: Ocelli Nominum, Names and Shelf Marks of Famous/Familiar Manuscripts.
Sr. Wilma is preceded in death by her parents, Roy L. Fitzgerald and Myrtle Marie Housden Fitzgerald. She is survived by her sisters, Lydia Dammann of Wenatchee, WA; Colleen Stoller of Sarasota, FL: and her brother, Patrick M. Fitzgerald of Texas; nephews Marcus Jacobson and Mertin Jacobson, and niece-in-law, Mitsue Jacobson.
Sr. Wilma’s interests included Classical Languages and modern Romance Languages. She especially enjoyed gardening, making lace, sewing, applied art and computers.
Memorial contributions may be made in Sr. Wilma’s honor to the Sisters of Providence Retirement Fund, 1801 Lind Avenue S.W., #9016, Renton, WA 98057-9016.
Rest in peace,Sister Lidwine.
Your Latin class at Sacred Heart was the highlight of my Freshman year 1959-60.
Go with God, Sr. Wilma, and with all my thanks for being a true friend.