(1934-2026)

County Donegal, Ireland, was the ancestral home of Sister Mary Ward, who was very proud of her Irish heritage. Her parents, Michael Ward and Bridget Ryan, both grew up there – he in Carrick, she in Kilcar – but they had to cross “the pond” and end up in Chicago before their paths connected.

Michael came through Ellis Island in 1922 at the age of twenty-three and went to live with his brother Patrick in Chicago. About four months later in 1923, nineteen-year-old Bridget followed suit, although her first stop in the U.S. after Ellis Island was Indianapolis, where her sister Hannah lived. She moved to Chicago soon thereafter to be closer to other family members and friends, and it was there that she and Michael met although they actually married in California after moving there to be closer to two of Bridget’s sisters and to find work.

After the birth of their first child, Michael, in California, the little family returned to Chicago, where they settled on the north side. Two more boys, James and John, came next, followed by a baby girl who did not survive, and then Mary, who was born on December 1, 1934. A snowstorm kept mother and baby in the hospital several days longer than usual, and Mary’s Aunt Margaret was enlisted to care for the other children during that time.

Over the next several years, five more children were born into the family: Vincent, Jane, Theresa, Margaret, and Susan.

Mary met the Adrian Dominican Sisters as a student at Queen of Angels School. Sister Carol Johannes, a Queen of Angels student at the same time, shared this memory of their school at Sister Mary’s wake:

The school was on Western Avenue where, all the while we were there, old, rickety, very noisy streetcars ran on rails. Early in the day it wasn’t too bad because the streetcars came infrequently. But later in the day as traffic became heavier they rumbled back and forth over and over, producing a deafening roar, so much so that if we were doing any oral reading we had to stop and wait until the streetcar passed before going on.

Read more about Sister Mary (PDF)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Home, Adrian.

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Note: To view recordings with closed captioning, they must be viewed on our public video library rather than through the links below.

Recording of Sister Mary's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Mary's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

 

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