Sister Lucy Coressel
1913-2011

In her autobiography, Sister Lucy wrote:

One of the blessings of advanced age and retirement is having time to remember. I have years of happiness and countless blessings to re-enjoy and thank God for — 21 years at home with a happy, close-knit family, and many years of living with so many inspiring women in our Dominican community. My first thought on awakening each morning is “Thank you, God,” and I repeat that prayer many times each day.

On October 22, 1913, the day of the first snowfall in Defiance, Ohio, a daughter was born to John Peter and Lucy B. (Sweets) Coressel on the family farm near Defiance. At her baptism, the new baby received the name Eunice Cecilia. In future years, she was known as Sister Marie Lucy. The Coressels already had two daughters, Florence and Germaine, and later two more daughters came into the family, Vivian and Grace. Several years later a son was born to them and christened John Maynard, always called Maynard.

Sister Lucy was proud of her father. He earned a college degree and taught for several years; was president of the Jewell Grain Company; a founding member and secretary-treasurer of the Defiance division of the National Farm Land Bank of Louisville, Kentucky; and an invited speaker at many meetings in the area. His friends, acquaintances, and former students often came to him for legal or other advice. He was also a successful farmer. Sister Lucy’s mother was a “city girl,” but she loved the farm life and was admired and respected in the area.

Florence and Germaine had begun their education at a one-room school near their home; but when it was time for Eunice to begin school, the three of them stayed with their two maiden aunts, “Aunt Lena’n Mary” in Defiance, and attended St. John School with the Sisters of St. Agnes from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Soon the family moved to Defiance. John Coressel continued to farm but came to their home in Defiance on weekends. During the Great Depression, the family moved back to the farm, and the father bought a “previously owned” car for the girls to use in getting to school in Defiance. Florence was the driver. She had no training, but simply got into the car and drove. Driving lessons were not required at that time.

One Sunday while she was attending Mass, the thought of becoming a religious sister came to Eunice. She was 14 years of age, but she thought that she would wait until she was 21. She graduated from Defiance High School in 1931 at the age of 17 and worked for a few months in the school office. She then worked for over a year for the Defiance County Agent and later as a bookkeeper for the Jewell Grain Company.

Shortly after her 21st birthday, Sister Lucy told her parents of her wish to enter a religious community, and they supported her. After visiting the Mercy Sisters and the Ursuline Sisters, she, with her mother and sister, drove to Adrian, met Sister Mary Philip Ryan, the novice mistress, and had a wonderful tour of the Motherhouse and infirmary. Within a short time, she made the decision to enter the Adrian Dominicans. Besides, she had a cousin in that community, Sister Clare Marie Mekus.

On September 8, 1935, she, her mother, her sister Grace, and two Adrian Dominicans drove to Adrian, where she entered the postulate. A new life of schedules, prayer, and study began for her and the other postulants. With her group she received the habit and her religious name on August 17, 1936, and professed her first vows on August 23, 1937.

Within a short time she was at St. Dominic School in Detroit as a teacher of fourth grade. Her talent as a seamstress was known, and she was assigned to make cowls for the Dominican priests who served at the parish. When not in the classroom, she also spent time altering cloaks and doing other sewing for the Sisters with whom she lived. She wrote, “I still remember the thoughtfulness and generosity of the children, who probably had less of this world’s goods than any others I have taught.”

The next year she was at St. Kilian in Chicago, where she spent two years. During the summers she had been studying at Siena Heights College (now University) in Adrian, and in August 1940 she received a bachelor’s degree with a major in Latin and minor in English. Her happiness was considerably dampened by the death of her father in June of that year. She was, however, able to spend a short time with him before he passed away.

At the end of August, Sister Lucy began her high school ministry as a teacher of religion, Latin, and English at Visitation in Detroit. Her summers were spent studying at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and in 1944 she was awarded a master’s degree in Latin. That year, she was assigned to teach religion, Latin, and Spanish at St. Ambrose High School in Detroit. In 1947, she returned to Visitation for six years, then was assigned to Dominican High School, also in Detroit, for two years. In 1955, she was transferred to Hoban Dominican High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where she spent a year, then returned to Visitation for a year, then was back at Hoban for another year.

Sister Lucy had been taking some courses in Home Economics, and in 1958 her schedule at St. Paul in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, included clothing as well as religion and Latin. In 1965 she was transferred to SS. Peter and Paul in Ruth, Michigan, where she taught Latin, English, and home economics. That year, she also produced the yearbook, which was called “probably the best yearbook of its size in the State of Michigan.”

In 1966, Sister Lucy was surprised to be assigned as principal of St. Mary in Assumption, Ohio, just 50 miles from her home, and she was able to visit her mother frequently. She noticed that her mother’s hearing and health were deteriorating, and in 1971 she resigned her position at St. Mary School, and cared for her mother. During the next three years, while living with her mother, she typed for an accountant part-time and served as a substitute teacher at the junior and senior high schools. She was also a Red Cross volunteer. She and her mother spent summers with Germaine, who was a nurse and living in Florida, and Sister attended Barry College. Her mother died of a stroke in May, 1974, while visiting in Florida.

Sister spent the next five years at Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital in California as a secretary. For two years she served Sister Carolyn Harrison, the administrator; then for three years she served Sister Josephine Sullivan, the new administrator. She learned that Germaine had undergone cancer surgery, and decided to find a ministry in Florida. She left the hospital for Barry University in Miami, where she served for 21 years as a secretary in various administrative offices. In addition, she served as secretary to the Faculty Senate, and later to the Institutional Review Board. She described her later years at Barry, and the work she did at home besides her part-time work in the office: proofreading, typing lists and memos, being available by phone to senators, committee members, and IRB members.

In my second year at Barry, I had begun lettering the names of the giver and the recipient on Certificates of Appreciation for the graduates, and that continued as one of my at-home activities. The number of certificates I lettered increased from about 900 to over 2,000 a year.

During her first years at Barry, she lived in LaVoie Hall. She mentioned having her evening meal with Mother Genevieve Weber and Sister Trinita Flood, President of the College. “I thoroughly enjoyed their reminiscences, and I know they enjoyed having an interested listener.” Later, she moved into Barry Villa, and when the Congregation leased part of the Villa for occupation by retired Sisters, she lived there and served the Sisters as bursar and insurance coordinator.

Sister Lucy was able to visit her sister on weekends. Germaine was not well, had little appetite, and no desire to cook, so Sister prepared food that could be stored, reheated, and eaten during the week. Germaine died in March 1990. She had served during World War II and attained the rank of captain, and some of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and their chaplain attended her funeral, with a flag covering her casket and a 21-gun salute. “It was a touching and thrilling tribute to Captain Germaine Coressel.” Sister’s sister Vivian died in June 1996.

Sister Lucy left Barry University in 2000 and returned to the Dominican Life Center/Maria. During her years there, she went through several periods of mourning for her siblings. Florence died in 2004. Maynard, who was an Ohio State patrolman until he retired, died in 2006. Grace died in March 2011, leaving Sister Lucy as the only surviving member of the family. Just a few months later, on August 6, 2011, she followed her family into eternity at the age of 97.

A wake-remembrance service was held for Sister Lucy on August 10, 2011, in St. Catherine Chapel. Sister Jo Gaugier, Prioress of Holy Rosary Mission Chapter, extended sympathy and welcomed several nieces and nephews, their spouses, and the many friends who had come to bid Sister Lucy farewell. She summarized Sister’s life and ministry, praising her as “a woman small in stature with a big heart and deep faith.”

Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin, who was until recently president of Barry University, came to the podium. She said in part:

I passed her desk every day for 21  years, and each time I would say, “I love Lucy.” That beautiful woman had a quiet external self, but there was the deep faith and pride that would swell up when the family came. . . . My family was also the recipient of Sister Lucy’s goodness. She taught my sister Latin. She was so quiet and private. Right now, if she could speak, she would tell me to sit down. And what a beautiful seamstress she was! I remember the early days when we left the habit, how she made clothes for so many people.

What can I say tonight to her family? I can only say, “I love Lucy,” and speak of my sorrow, my condolences. Most of all, I know that you love Lucy, and perhaps that’s enough.

Lloyd Van Bylevelt of the Peace Education Foundation, also spoke. He said in part:

Sister Lucy proofread our books for years. She continued to proofread them when she came to Adrian. I would send them to her and she would send them back. About seven years ago, I got a call from her. She said that she had a heart attack, and it would take her longer to get the book back to me. But we had that book back within a week. Her proofreading was always perfect.

We’d give her a check, but sometimes she wouldn’t take it or cash it. One time she did accept a ticket for an ice cream parlor. Thank you so much, Sister Lucy.

Sister Lucy’s niece, Karen Brown, also spoke.

Memories! She’s brought us a lot of them. When I was little, she was allowed to come home only every three years. Sister Clare Marie would come with her. . . . I can remember being in awe of her. She was in the long habit and veil, with the rosary at her belt. When I was at Grandma’s house, I would sit at her feet and play with her rosary.

When we were at the farm she would drive us kiddies in the old car that we called the Doodlebug. . . . Some of us older nieces and nephews can remember those days. I have some pictures of us in the Doodlebug. When she came home, we would sit out in the orchard and have a party. . . . If we had special needs, we always called her to pray. She’d make a list so that she wouldn’t forget any of us. I’m hoping that she’ll take that list with her now. She was glad when she could stop wearing the long habit. She was always so warm in it.

It’s been nice to meet all of you. But it’s so kind of weird to meet Sisters who said, “She was my fourth grade teacher” or “She was my sophomore homeroom teacher.” We never thought of her as old. But we realize that she had a wonderful 97 years on earth. I’m thankful that she had a quiet death. . . . Thank you all for being a blessing to her. She was truly a blessing to us, and now she can be our angel.

Sister Lucy’s funeral liturgy took place on August 11, 2011, with Father Robert Kelly, OP, Motherhouse Chaplain, as the presider and homilist. She was then laid to rest in the Congregational cemetery.

In her autobiography she wrote, “Since my Confirmation, I have always had special devotion to the Holy Spirit.” She credited the Holy Spirit with guiding her through every major decision of her life. May that Holy Spirit guide her to happiness with her family in eternity.