SISTER JOSEPH ANN RYNTZ
1917-2007

In the latter half of her life, Sister Joseph Ann preferred to be called “Ann.” At her death she was eighty-nine years of age, and had been an Adrian Dominican for almost seventy-four years. In the last paragraph of her autobiography, she wrote of her gratitude for the blessings received during these years.

Looking back at my many years, I feel extreme gratitude to my hard working parents who, in addition to many special skills, taught me how to live, work, and serve others. I’m grateful, also, to my Dominican Congregation for a rich spiritual life, beautiful companions, a fine education, and excellent health care. Most of all, I thank God, the source of all these many graces and blessings.

On August 24, 1917, Mary Rose Ryntz, the future Sister Joseph Ann, was born in Detroit to Joseph and Anna (Pawlowski) Ryntz. She was the second of their five children, two girls and three boys. Her father, Joseph Ryntz, was from Northern Poland. When he came to the United States, he found work at the Ford Motor Company in Detroit and met Anna Pawloski, a young woman of Polish heritage. They soon married. Sister Ann described her mother as “skilled in cooking, sewing, crocheting, and managing.” She wrote, “We never owned a car and happily walked long distances, occasionally riding the street car.”

When it was time for school, Sister Mary Rose’s teachers were St. Joseph Sisters at Sweetest Heart of Mary School, and they taught in both English and Polish. Mary Rose’s first confession was in Polish. After a short time the family moved, and sent their children to Holy Name School with the Adrian Dominicans. Sister Ann wrote, “In time, after some uncertainty and timidity, I began going to confession in English.” She enjoyed school, loved the sisters, and spent much time helping them in the classroom, in the sacristy, and in the convent. She was with them so much that her sister told her she should move in with them.

After her freshman year in high school, she told her parents that she wanted to be an Adrian Dominican. She was only fifteen years of age, but her parents gave their permission even though they thought that she would be lonesome and return home. Her talented mother made her postulant outfit, and Mary Rose arrived in Adrian on June 25, 1933, two months before her sixteenth birthday.

She received the habit and her religious name on December 27, 1933, and wrote, “Novitiate years were lonesome, but challenging and happy.” With her group, she professed her first vows on December 31, 1934, and almost immediately was on her way to Chicago to teach third graders at St. Clare of Montefalco School for the second semester of the 1934-35 school year. She wrote:

During their early years, young sisters in Chicago went to St. Rita School on Saturdays to continue study toward their degrees. I missed many classes since, being one of the youngest, I was assigned several chores and had no time for study. The most difficult job was substituting for the cook the many times she was unable to come.

She remained at St. Clare for the next year also, and then was changed to St. Matthew School, where she taught fourth graders for four years.

 In July 1943, as a result of weekend and summer study, Siena Heights College (now University) in Adrian awarded her a bachelor’s degree with a major in Latin, and minors in history and Spanish.

In 1944 she was assigned to Bishop Quarter Military Academy in Oak Park, Illinois, where she taught in the middle grades for four years. In her interview, she said, “We took in a three-year-old boy, Patrick, who came from a troubled family. Until he became school age and I was transferred elsewhere, he was my special charge and brought me much love and joy.”

In 1948 she was assigned to Michigan schools for ten years. She taught primary children for three years at St. Joseph in St. Joseph, and then for a semester each at St. Joseph in Maybee and St. Clement in Romeo. During the summers she lived at St. Philip Neri Convent in Chicago and studied at De Paul University. She wrote humorously of that time.

We traveled on the “El,” back and forth. We studied half the night, hiding the light that shone under the bedroom door. I taught myself enough French to pass the language exam, and received my Master’s degree. This completed my education.

After receiving her master’s degree in Latin in August 1952, she began her high school ministry at St. Gabriel in Detroit, where she taught Latin, English, math, and geography for five years, then spent a year at St. Bernard in Alpena.

In 1958, she began in Florida her only years outside the Midwest, where she taught for a year at St. Anthony in Fort Lauderdale, and for two years at Central Catholic High School, also in Fort Lauderdale.

Returning to Michigan in 1961, she spent six years at St. Alphonsus High School in Dearborn, where she managed the cafeteria. “The State inspectors were very impressed with our cafeteria management, and I found myself doing this job frequently.” Two years at St. Joseph High School in St. Joseph followed, and then twenty-five years at Lake Michigan Catholic High School, also in St. Joseph. In 1975, again as a result of summer study, she received a second bachelor’s degree from the Instituto Estudios in Saltillo, Mexico, this time in Spanish. About her years in high school she said, “I especially enjoyed teaching Spanish and directing students in a Latin production of the play ‘Cinderella,’ which won a second-place award.”

It was here, between 1997 and 2001, that back problems, surfacing in the sixties, began a physical decline that later resulted in knee and hip replacements, as well as back surgery for a pinched nerve.

She retired in 1991, but continued living in St. Joseph and volunteering her services. When severe illness struck her in 2004, she returned to the Dominican Life Center/Maria in Adrian.

Over the years, several deaths in the family brought sadness to her: her mother died in 1939, her father in l952, her oldest brother in 1998, and her sister Therese in 2004. Her two younger brothers had also died several years before. Sister Ann found herself the last surviving member of her immediate family.
A wake-remembrance service was held for Sister Ann on May 24 in St. Catherine Chapel. Present were her niece Chris Doyle and her husband Finn, her nephew James Okonoski and his wife Merry, several grandnieces and –nephews, and many Dominican friends. Sister Joan Sustersic, Prioress of Holy Rosary Mission Chapter, extended sympathy and welcome to all who had come to bid Sister Ann goodbye. She summarized Sister Ann’s life and ministry, and spoke of her last days.

Her niece and nephew visited frequently, and she enjoyed company from St. Joseph, Michigan. She often said that she repaid people for their kindness with baked goods—especially cookies. Resident Services Department helped her set up a way to continue her baking in a second floor kitchenette, and for Christmas she baked tons of cookies to be sold at the Bazaar. Our co-workers and sisters enjoyed many of these homemade cookies, and were grateful to be able to support a worthy cause and get some scrumptious, homemade cookies in exchange.

For some time, Sister Ann had not been feeling well. At first, it was thought that she might have a virus. When it persisted, tests revealed a tumor in the stomach, for which she consented to having radiation treatments. The doctor did not recommend chemotherapy because of her age. She was delighted because she didn’t want to lose her hair.

Her appetite all but disappeared and she lost weight. Recently, the appetite returned and she was looking forward to regaining her strength. That was not in God’s plan for her, because on May 18 she suffered a stroke that affected her speech and ability to swallow. Especially frustrating for her was the fact that she knew what she wanted to say, but nothing would come out!

When she was in St. Joseph, there was a priest from India there who was taking classes and assisting in the parish, Father Anthony Poola, and she got to know him. After he went back to India, she’d send him a stipend every little while. He called this morning and asked how she was doing because she had sent him a check and told him about her illness. I told him that she had passed away.

James Okonoski, Sister Ann’s nephew, spoke in praise of his aunt.

My aunt was a very important person in my life. She and my mother were similar. Sister was a wonder—making cookies, baking bread. And for the last ten years she was in extreme pain. She had a deteriorating disc in her spine. She had knee surgery and hip surgery in order to get relief so that she could continue her ministry in St. Joe. Even though she was in so much pain, Sister wouldn’t take drugs. The most important thing to her was to be aware of what was going on around her.

She had a good friend, Catherine Meyer, the head cook at the high school. Sister did the buying and Catherine cooked. Then Catherine’s husband died, and Sister would minister to her. She also had a good friend, “the fish lady”—I never knew her name, but her first name was Henrietta. She was a widow, and Sister would go over and help her. She shared a lot. She shared love. She helped a lot of people grow in their Faith and in the love of God. I’m thankful to God that she was my aunt!

Scott Doyle, Sister’s grandnephew, remembered:

I remember when I was much younger she used to come to our house for the holidays. A few Christmases ago, she came over and we decided to play poker. We asked her to play, and she said that she didn’t know how. We explained it to her, and she said that she’d catch on. But then she kept winning, and we realized that she was hustling us. But maybe it was because she had God on her side. Pretty soon there were only my aunt and me playing. She was a great influence in my life, and I feel lucky that she was there for me.

Sister Therese Haggerty shared a humorous incident.

Not too long ago I took her to St. Joe for Thanksgiving. She wanted to go visit a friend in Benton Harbor, and she was sure that she knew where the house was. We had quite an adventure. I didn’t know my way around Benton Harbor, but I do now. We drove around and around, and finally I said, “I think we had better go to my niece’s house and get her to take us.” So we did. My niece took her where she wanted to go in Benton Harbor. That was really quite an adventure!

Ann Frey, a good friend, said:

How it could be that she couldn’t find my house is strange, because she used to be there every week. . . . She spent every holiday with me and my family, and also at our summer house. I was the principal at Lake Michigan Catholic High School. . . . I taught her to drive when she was sixty years old. She was set in her ways, very determined.

I have two cats, and on her last visit a year ago my older cat was twenty-three years old and dying. Sister knew the cat. She kept asking if the cat was still alive. When the cat died, she really felt bad.

We all have happy memories of her when she was with us. . . . She reached out to people. She always wanted to do things for other people. . . . She was always concerned about my safety because I work in the city. She was always praying for my safety and for my success. I want to thank you Dominicans for sharing her with us. We have some wonderful memories of her.

Father Roland Calvert was the presider and homilist at Sister Ann’s funeral celebration on May 25, after which she was laid to rest in the Congregational cemetery.

As Sister Joan said, “We cherish the time that Sister Ann spent with us.” Sister Ann lived a simple life, made use of and shared the talents that God gave her. On May 22, 2007, God took her to eternity and bestowed on her the blessings given to those who spend their lives in service to God and neighbor.