Easter Came Later
April 8, 2024
By Sister Mary Thill, OSF
Sister M. Samuel Lubeck died peacefully at Rosary Care Center in Sylvania, Ohio on April 10, 2024. The daughter of Andrew and Anna Lubeck joined the Sisters of St. Francis in Sylvania, Ohio from SS. Peter and Paul parish in Detroit, Michigan in 1954. She came to the convent to “become a Saint” and was inspired to enter the Sylvania Franciscans because of the example of her grade school teachers. There were 24 Sisters teaching at SS. Peter and Paul School at the time and she was impressed with their kindness, humanness, joyfulness and loyalty. Her mother also influenced her decision to become a Sister because she had wanted to become one herself. Sister Samuel made her First Profession of Vows in 1960 and her Final Profession of Vows in 1963.
For almost 64 years in religious life, Sister Samuel was involved in education. With degrees from Lourdes Junior College, A.A.; Mary Manse College, B.A. and B. S. E.; and M.A. from the University of Detroit, Sister was well prepared to teach science as well as other subjects as needed. She taught in elementary schools in Minnesota and Ohio for 52 years and spent her last 30 years of teaching at St. Joseph School in Galion, Ohio where she felt part of the parish family. Her love of science and the earth led her to develop an aluminum can recycling science project in 1981. The money received from the project enabled her to send her sixth graders to camp. She believed that, “Books are important, but when you can take (students) out to discover something, that’s really neat.” Sister’s work was acknowledged in 2005 with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Youth Science Opportunities by the Ohio Academy of Science.
In 2011, Sister returned to the Motherhouse in Sylvania where she served as a tutor at the Sylvania Franciscan Academy, helped provide transportation for the Sisters at Rosary Care Center, worked as a soap maker for Holy Aromas for the Sister’s Gift Shop, and was an enthusiastic cheerleader for Lourdes University Gray Wolves sports teams. Sister Irenaeus, one of her classmates, recalled that Sister Samuel was someone who was always enthusiastic and full of energy. “She was just so bubbly and we always loved her famous giggle.” Sister Samuel’s last few years were spent in Prayer Ministry at Rosary Care Center.
Sister Samuel will be greatly missed by her Sisters in Community, her caregivers at Rosary Care Center and her family, friends and students. She was preceded in death by her brothers Richard and Robert and her sister Joann. She is survived by her brothers Steven, Andrew (Sally), Ronald (Laura) and her sisters Pat Mardeus, Shelly Lubeck and sister-in-law Arlene. A Welcoming Service will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, 2024 in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel in Sylvania. The funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 15, 2024 in the Chapel. (Live streaming of the Mass can be found at https://video.ibm.com/channel/RvdadQRjbGk)
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania, Ohio. Arrangements made by Thomas I. Wisniewski Funeral Home, Toledo, Ohio.
