(1934-2026)

Reta Ann Drexler was the sixth of seven children born to William and Rose (Hoorman) Drexler, coming into the family on November 27, 1934, at home in Dearborn, Michigan.

William and Rose, who had met and married in Ohio and lived there for a few years before moving to Dearborn, planned to move to a farm near Deerfield, Michigan, in Lenawee County not far from Adrian, after Reta’s birth. An outbreak of chicken pox among the children, including tiny Reta, delayed the move until all were well, but they arrived at their new home on December 23 of that year. 

Given the timing of the move, two of Reta’s sisters, seven-year-old Vera and five-and-a-half-year-old Florence, were afraid that Santa would not know they were in a new house and stood outside yelling to Santa that they now lived there. “Santa must have heard them for they received their gifts,” Sister Reta wrote in her autobiography.

When Reta was about seven years old, the family moved to a farm near Willis, Michigan, southeast of Ann Arbor. She and her siblings – in addition to Vera and Florence, there were four boys: Albert, Carl, Donald, and James – had lots of fun on the farm, with its woods and open space in which to play and explore.

Read more about Sister Reta (PDF)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. 

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 Reta'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 Reta'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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