Sister Ellen Raymond Robinson
1926-2006

Sister Georgina Luznicky described her friend, Sister Ellen Raymond Robinson, as "kind and concerned about others, a good listener who was not judgmental, an educator who developed leadership in others, fun to be with." Sister Georgina treasured their friendship of many years.

Sister Sally Fergus also described her:

Who shall find a valiant woman? How often have we heard that question? We have been witnesses to many valiant women over the years, and tonight we witness to the life of another, our Sister Ellen Raymond Robinson.

Sister Ellen Raymond was buried on her eighty-first birthday, August 29, 2007. On that date in 1926, Russell and Helen (Mueller) Robinson welcomed her into their family.

She was the only child born to them, named for her mother, and strong bonds of affection bound her and her parents together. There were also strong bonds among what Sister Ellen Raymond called "a blended family," grandparents, cousins and aunts. Although an only child, she was not lonely.

Both parents were dedicated, practicing Catholics. Russell Robinson was a construction worker of Irish descent, and provided a good life for his family. Helen Mueller came from German ancestry. After her husband's death in 1941 when her daughter was fifteen, she worked as a stenographer to support the two of them. Closeness to the extended family was a great boon to her.

Helen, the future Sister Ellen Raymond, began her education at St. Martin School in Detroit. The next year, the family moved to Grosse Pointe where Helen finished grade and high school at St. Ambrose School with the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Her education included two years of piano and several months of sorrow in 1941 when her father died. She graduated in June 1943, and entered the Congregation two months later on August 20 at the age of seventeen. She followed her cousin, Margaret Bleser, known in the Congregation as Sister Marie Albert, who had entered in 1922, four years before Helen was born, and who died in 1985.

Helen received the habit and her religious name on January 4, 1944, and professed her first vows on January 5, 1945. Almost immediately she was in a car bound for Port Huron, Michigan, where she began her teaching ministry in fourth grade. She was a tall, strong woman, sometimes described as "stately," and within a year she was assigned to eighth grade.

After three years in Port Huron, she ministered in the Chicago area for over thirty years. She began with two years at St. Kilian School teaching second grade. Illness came upon her, she had surgery, and spent the summer of 1949 recuperating at the Motherhouse. In fall 1949, she began two years at St. Clare of Montefalco in fourth grade. As a result of summer study in Adrian, during the following summer Siena Heights College (now University) conferred a Bachelor's Degree upon her with a major in history and minors in Latin and English.

Her next assignment was to Our Lady of Good Counsel, where she spent fifteen years, the last six as superior and principal. At the wake, Sister Maureen Keeler remembered that time:

I first met Sister Ellen Raymond on the day I was professed… She and another sister came to meet me at the 63rd Street train station in Chicago. I was going to Our Lady of Good Counsel on the south side. They were late, and they came running down the street like the flying nuns.

My last year at Good Counsel, Sister Ellen became our superior. My observation during that year was of her kindness to and with the older sisters. She was usually sent a couple of sisters who could each teach a half day. She was patient and attentive to their needs in particular… Sister Ellen was an excellent teacher, but she shone brightest when she was in administration of a school. She was a take-charge person… She led the teachers and students to excellence with dignity, discipline, and hard day-to-day work.

After receiving her Bachelor's Degree, Sister Ellen Raymond studied at De Paul University in Chicago during the summers, and in August 1960 she received a Master's Degree in history. When her term as principal at Our Lady of Good Counsel finished, she returned to St. Kilian as an eighth grade teacher for two years.

In 1969 she became principal at St. Rita School, a position that she held for seven years. Her mother was ill at that time, and she died in 1975. Sister Ellen Raymond had spent two previous summers caring for her, and was grateful for that privilege. Sister Maureen Keeler remembered:

We were both from St. Ambrose Parish in Detroit, and we had actually lived a few blocks from each other. I came to know Ellen's mother and experience her generosity as she treated us to a memorable seven-week trip overseas. [This trip occurred in summer 1966.] I attended family gatherings with Ellen, and we had the same home visit year, as it turned out.

Sister Ellen Raymond moved to St. Emeric School in Country Club Hills, where she ministered for nineteen years as principal. In all, thirty-one years of her religious life were spent in administering schools. At St. Emeric she lived with a Sister of Mercy. Sister Georgina Luznicky remembered:

When this sister became ill, Sister Ellen took care of her. When Sister was moved to the Mercy retirement home, Sister Ellen visited regularly.

Sister Ellen was a good teacher, but an even better administrator. She was organized and taught teachers to be their best. She became involved in community affairs… in Chicago and the same was true in Country Club Hills.

When I was our Community Supervisor in the Chicago area, I could always count on Sister Ellen to host an Education meeting for me… I never had to worry. She organized everything, and all I had to do was show up with my "show."

She was a Congregation person. She came to Adrian each summer to help Sister Rosaria [Buesching] with the Penafort Program. She volunteered for committee work and never missed a Mission Group meeting. Whenever she was in a discussion group and there was a lull, you could count on her to summarize and move on to the next topic.

Mark L. Russadoff, DM, Director of Music Ministries at St. Irenaeus Parish in Park Forest, Illinois, sent a communication that was read at the wake. He had worked as a music teacher at St. Emeric School while Sister Ellen Raymond was there. He wrote in part:

From her, I learned much about education, pastoral behavior, faith, and humanity. She took a very "green" teacher and patiently advised, guided, and formed me into a far more effective pedagogue than ever I might have been under someone else's tutelage.

She was very articulate about her faith, but chose to teach more by example than decree. She was the picture of gentle dignity and wisdom, even in the face of adverse situations… When my father died suddenly, Sister Ellen gave my wife and me a very lovely flower arrangement and comforted me in my grief. Again, it was her quiet reassurance of eternal life, and her gentleness, underlain with tremendous strength of character, that helped me to continue.

Sister Ellen Raymond celebrated her Golden Jubilee while at St. Emeric Parish, and a writeup in the parish bulletin recognized her as an educational leader and an example of Christian living, one who always treated others with respect.

The 1995-96 year was a sabbatical year for Sister Ellen Raymond. She studied for six months at St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana, and finished at the Holy Cross Brothers Center in Notre Dame, Indiana.

In 1996 she returned to Illinois and the field of education as assistant principal at St. George School in Tinley Park. It was there that she and Frances Tcharanian met. Frances described Sister Ellen as "an example of a true Christian."

After Sister Ellen left St. George, we still kept in touch. We had a special connection because we were both born on August 29. Getting together for lunch was one of her favorite activities, so we tried to meet several times during the year. She loved life and enjoyed traveling. As long as she could drive, she was always out and about.

She was special-she lived a faith-filled life. Her optimistic attitude was such an inspiration. Even when she was ill, she kept her chin up and accepted whatever came her way, taking one day at a time.

After four years at St. George, with her health failing, Sister Ellen Raymond retired. When illness attacked her in earnest, she was admitted to Select Specialty Hospital in Chicago where she received wonderful care until her death on August 25, 2007.

Sister Ellen Raymond's wake-remembrance service was held in Adrian's Holy Rosary Chapel on August 28. A service had been held the previous evening in the Chicago area. Sister Sally Fergus, Prioress of the Dominican Midwest Mission Chapter, opened the Adrian service. She extended welcome, condolences, and prayers to Sister's many cousins who were present. After summarizing Sister Ellen Raymond's life and ministry, she spoke of Sister's last days.

It has been my privilege to walk with Sister Ellen these past two-and-a-half months as she faced one setback after another on her road to a hoped-for recovery and move to the Dominican Life Center.

I thank, and I know her family thanks, the Select Specialty Hospital where Ellen died. They gave her such good care. When they and she knew that her time had come, they called the priest from St. Margaret Mercy who came, blessed her, and was with her when she died. They placed her rosary around her neck because they knew how much it meant to her-it was always in her hands.

Sisters Ellen Raymond and Mary Anne Yanz met a few years ago. Sister Mary Anne gave a remembrance at the wake. She said in part:

I got to know her several years ago when I joined the Valiant Women's Mission Group. There were several times that I would pick her up and take her to our meetings. If she couldn't attend the meeting, I would get a phone call and she would ask about the meeting.

She talked about her trips to the Detroit area. She would take her time and visit her cousin. She would stop at the same motel along the toll road, and they knew her there.

Sister Maureen also spoke of the later years.

As Sister Ellen aged, her spirituality surfaced more and more. A woman of faith and prayer, she accepted growing older. She was not one to complain about her circumstances but kept on going in spite of her condition. Some of that was probably denial of her diminishment, but she did not want to give in or give up.

Our Adrian Dominican Community was a vital part of Sister Ellen's life. In her younger years, she served on various committees and took part in Mission Group meetings and assemblies. In the past couple of years, she slowed down and, unable to walk long distances, she did not participate as she would have liked. She often told me that she found walking difficult, and I could see that when I was with her.

Sister Georgina said:

In later years, Sister Ellen's health deteriorated… She was able to do less and less. When she finished her ministry at St. George and I finished at the Education Office of the Archdiocese, we would meet for breakfast once a month-sometimes oftener. Problems were settled-she would say,"Let's put it on our prayer list." She was a great pray-er in her own way. She would let God take care of it.

When she was hospitalized some months ago I would phone her every other day. We talked about the goodness of God in our lives. She asked me to pray for her. One day she told me that when she was released from the hospital, she would go to Adrian.

As was said a couple of times at the wake, when she was in the hospital Sister Ellen Raymond told the nurses that her elevator "stopped at every floor." By this she meant that she was in possession of her faculties and knew what was going on. Now, as Sister Maureen said, "her elevator has stopped at the highest floor," where she is in the presence of the God she spent her life loving and serving, and in the company of the loved ones who went before her.