Sister Ruth Ann Baudry, CSA
Sister Ruth Ann Baudry, CSA, baptized Bereneice, died peacefully March 13, 2021, at St. Francis Home, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Bereneice, the daughter of George and Ruth Allain Baudry, was born on April 14, 1933, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She grew up on a farm near Eden with her two sisters and two brothers. Her education began in a one-room schoolhouse in Marblehead and continued at St. Joseph’s 9th Grade and St. Mary’s Springs Academy, both in Fond du Lac.
Bereneice entered St. Agnes Convent in 1950. In May of 1951 she received her high school diploma from St. Agnes High School. Bereneice made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Ruth Ann on August 15, 1954.
Sister Ruth Ann earned her B.S. in Education from Marian College in August of 1961. Throughout her life, Sister Ruth Ann was a dedicated and gifted educator, honored with many awards for her excellence, creativity, and love for children. Sister Ruth Ann taught primary grades in: East Harlem, New York; Defiance, Ohio; Two Rivers, Wauwatosa, and Hortonville, Wisconsin. For thirty years, she served in the Fond du Lac Catholic Education System (FACES) teaching at the St. Patrick, St. Louis, and St. Joseph campuses. During her years with FACES, Sister Ruth Ann served as a cooperating teacher, supervising student teachers, for which Marian University honored her with a distinguished service award.
A pioneer in individualized instruction, Sister Ruth Ann authored the book, Games for Individualizing Learning, which was published in 1976.
Sister Ruth Ann’s love for teaching extended beyond the daily classroom to include coordination of religious education programs, especially for children with special needs. She was active on the Human Concerns Committee for Marian University and several committees for Holy Family Parish in Fond du Lac. She is lovingly remembered by the Fond du Lac Hmong Community. Since 1985, Sister Ruth Ann assisted Hmong families in obtaining housing, legal aid, health services, nutrition assistance, and immunizations for their children. She would often personally deliver supplies of clothing, food, and furniture to support families as they settled in the Fond du Lac community.
After retiring from full-time teaching in 2009, Sister Ruth Ann worked half-days at the Christian Parents for Kids Daycare located in Peebles, Wisconsin.
In October of 2016, Sister Ruth Ann joined the community of CSA sisters at Nazareth Court and Center in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. There she continued to serve the Hmong community and special needs children until her health became frail. In November of 2017, Sister Ruth Ann was presented with the Vatican II Award for Service in Education by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, a truly fitting tribute to her life of service to children, immigrants, and the poor.
Sister Ruth Ann was preceded in death by her parents George and Ruth Baudry; her sister Georgene (Gerard) Clair, her brother Alden (Arlene) Baudry and her niece, Sharon Baudry. She is survived by her brother LeRoy (Carol) Baudry and her sister Rose Mary (Jerry) Dettlaff, many nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of St. Agnes, with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.
A private Liturgy of Christian Burial for Sister Ruth Ann will be held on March 22, 2021, in the Nazareth Center Chapel, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, with Father Kenneth Smits, Capuchin, presiding. Burial will follow at St. Joseph’s Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Memorials can be directed to the CSA Mission Advancement Office, 320 County Road K, Fond du Lac, WI 54937.
The Sisters of St. Agnes are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court and Center/St. Francis Home and Hospice Hope for their care of Sister Ruth Ann during her final years of life.
Zacherl Funeral Home is serving the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes.