(1935-2026)

Sister Joan Schroeder, formerly known as Sister Francis Maureen, died on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian. She was 90 years of age and in the 72nd year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Joan was born in Chicago to Clement and Genevieve (Coleman) Schroeder. She graduated from St. Gregory High School in Chicago and received a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and a master’s degree in English from DePaul University in Chicago. She was also certified as a parish social worker by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Sister ministered for 19 years as an elementary teacher in Dearborn and Clawson, Michigan; Harvey and Chicago, Illinois; Des Moines, Iowa; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. She also served in secretarial services for more than nine years in Detroit and in De Kalb, Chicago, Maywood, Kenilworth, and Evergreen Park, Illinois. This includes one year as secretary for the SEAC Mission Chapter Office in Detroit. Sister Joan also served in Transportation Services at Maria Health Care Center (Dominican Life Center) for nine years. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 1998.

Sister Joan was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers: Clement Francis, Edward, Lawrence, and Richard. She is survived by other loving family members and her Adrian Dominican Sisters

Prayers of Committal will be held at 1:30 pm on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in the back of St. Catherine Chapel. A Memorial Mass will be held in St. Catherine Chapel 10:30 a.m. ET Thursday, January 29, 2026, and a Ritual of Remembrance will be held in the Rose Room of the Dominican Life Center the same day at 1:30 p.m. ET. Those not attending the Memorial Mass or Ritual of Remembrance in person are welcome to participate via livestream at https://adriandominicans.org/Live-Stream.

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)

Recordings of Services

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 Joan's Memorial Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Joan's Ritual of Remembrance - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as."

 

LEFT: Joan at the age of 4, 1939. MIDDLE LEFT: 1953 graduate of St. Gregory High School, Chicago. 

LEFT: Sisters Patricia McKee, left, and Joan Schroeder, summer of 2000.

Members of the 2013 Diamond Jubilee Crowd are: back row from left, Sisters Joan Schroeder, Margaret Ann Roggenbuck, Marie Rose Bauer, Attracta Kelly (Prioress), Dorothy Guettler, Janet Wright, and Carol Fleming; middle row, from left, Sisters Margaret Marie Ringel, Frances Wetzel, Janice Scholl, Patricia Ann McKee, Patricia Sporer, Pauline Richter, and Barbara Chenicek; and front row, from left, Sisters Joan Mary Dwyer, Josephine Gaugier, Margarita Rúíz, Mary Vianne Bayus, Lorraine Brennan, Mary E. Waldron, and Mary Cullen.

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