Dale (Lenore) Wollum, OSB

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Dale (Lenore) Wollum, OSB
Saint Benedict’s Monastery
St. Joseph, Minn.
August 30, 1924–January 18, 2021

Sister Dale (Lenore) Wollum died peacefully on Monday, January 18, 2021, at Saint Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud, Minn. A private Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Benedict’s Monastery on Thursday, January 21, 2021, followed by burial in the monastery cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Benson Funeral Home.

Lenore was born August 30, 1924, to William and Louise (Fuhrmann) Wollum in Eau Claire, Wis., the second youngest of eight children. She attended St. Patrick’s Elementary and St. Patrick’s High School in Eau Claire. Lenore entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery in September 1942, was received into the novitiate in 1944, made first monastic profession July 11, 1945, and perpetual monastic profession on July 11, 1948.  From June 21, 1948, she was a member of Saint Bende Monastery, Eau Claire, until August 15, 2010, when she returned to Saint Benedict’s Monastery.

Dale received a B.A. degree in education from the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, and an M.S. degree in education from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. She also attended St. Paul Diocesan Teachers’ College, St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minn., Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minn., College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minn., Notre Dame, Ind., St. Norbert’s College, DePere, Wis., and Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

For 40 years, education was at the heart of S. Dale’s ministry as a teacher of intermediate and upper grades, beginning at St. Mary’s in St. Cloud. When she moved to Saint Bede, she taught in Wisconsin at St. Thomas More, La Crosse, St. Benedict’s, Altoona, St. Patrick’s, Onalaska, St. John’s, Edgar, and as exchange teacher in Minnesota at St. Ann’s, Minneapolis, and Immaculate  Heart in St. Paul; she was also principal, teacher and superior at St. Francis, Ellsworth, Wis., and St. Mary’s, Richland Center, Wis. For 10 years, she taught English at Saint Bede Academy, Eau Claire. A change of career then saw her become director of religious education at St. Aloysius, Kaukauna, Wis., and parish minister at St. Patrick’s, Onalaska. At Saint Bede Monastery, she served as community secretary (1972–1980 and 1999–2008) and house coordinator (1999–2008). From 2009, her gifts were used wherever they were needed at the monastery. In August 2010, she moved to St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud, where she continued community service. S. Dale loved to write poetry and had two books of poetry published as well as poems in national and international anthologies. She loved to sing and was a beautiful cantor for prayers and liturgy.

Dale is survived by the sisters in her Benedictine community and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her three brothers, William, Donald and Dale, and her four sisters, Loraine Ludwikoski, Muriel Candell, Vera White and Betty Skutley.

Please direct memorial gifts to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict Outreach Ministries.