Divine Word Missionary Father Lawrence Nemer, 88, an early instructor at Catholic Theological Union, died June 9 in Australia.

A missionary in Australia for 25 years, Father Nemer was lector emeritus at Yarra Theological Union in Box Hill, Melbourne, Australia.

Born in Chicago, he entered the Society of the Divine Word high school seminary at East Troy, Wisconsin. He professed religious vows in 1952 and was ordained in 1960.

Father Nemer began his teaching career as a seminarian, teaching English literature at the Brother Candidates’ High School at Techny, Illinois, in 1958. After earning a licentiate in missiology at the Gregorian University in Rome in 1962, he returned to Techny and taught missiology, church history and liturgy at Divine Word Seminary.

In 1970, Father Nemer became a leader in transitioning students from St. Mary’s Seminary at Techny to CTU. For the next two decades, he taught church history at CTU and was named a full professor in 1985.

In 1991, he became a lecturer in church history and mission studies at Yarra Theological Union. Apart from six years as president of the Missionary Institute London in England, he devoted the rest of his career to Yarra Theological Union.

During the summers, he taught courses in Vietnam, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the United States.

He is survived by one sister, Grace Dossing.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Germaine Scholl, 98, died June 15 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Iowa, she made her first religious profession in 1941 and her perpetual profession in 1944. She served her Dominican Congregation as a culinary artist for 58 years and helped make Mass breads for one year. She served in Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska and Iowa.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Germaine served in the culinary arts at Immaculate Conception Convent (1949-1951); St. Thomas the Apostle Convent, (1969-1970); St. Vincent Ferrer Convent, River Forest (1970); Visitation Convent (1974-1977); and St. Basil Convent (1977).

She is survived by a sister, Dominican Sister Eldena Scholl.

Franciscan Sister of Chicago Mary Dorothea (Frances) Micek, 96, died June 18.

Sister M. Dorothea entered the congregation from Omaha, Nebraska, in 1939, made her first vows in 1943 and made her final vows in 1948.

She ministered in Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota as a nurse, anesthetist and administrator.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Joseph Home (1942-1943); Guardian Angel Day Care Center (1944-1946); St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr (1946-1947); Palos Community Hospital (1978-1982, 1987-1995), Palos Heights; Mother Theresa Home, Lemont (1983-1987); the congregation motherhouse, Lemont (1995-1996, 1999-2021).

She retired in 2012 and continued to reside at the motherhouse.

Mercy Sister Elizabeth “Betty” (Mary Eugenius) Burns, 96, died June 21.

Born in Chicago, she attended Catholic schools and graduated from Mercy High School/St. Patrick Academy in 1943. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in Des Plaines two years later.

Sister Betty served at several Illinois and Wisconsin parochial schools for more than 50 years. She was principal of St. Joan of Arc School, Skokie; St. Catherine of Siena, Oak Park; and St. Stephen Protomartyr, Des Plaines. She also served at Resurrection, St. Finbarr, St. Malachy, Little Flower and Mother McAuley High School in Chicago; St. Mary, Evanston; and St. Mary, Riverside.

In 2002, Sister Betty left teaching and began volunteering in music ministry with people living in assisted living and Alzheimer’s facilities.

Adrian Dominican Sister Jean Irene McAllister, 92, died June 25 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 74th year of her religious profession.

Sister Jean Irene ministered in Illinois, Ohio, Florida and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mary Mount Carmel (1948-1951) and St. James, Maywood (1951-1953).

She is survived by a sister, Catherine Brown.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Loretta (Marie Simeon) McIlvenna, 94, died June 4 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in South Dakota, she made her first religious profession in 1948 and her perpetual profession in 1951. She was a teacher and principal, a religious education consultant, manager at the Dominican motherhouse and a volunteer parish minister in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Loretta taught at St. Cajetan (1956-1959), St. Thomas More (1965-1971) and Visitation (1976-1984), where she was also principal.

She is survived by her sister, Marie Nash.

Deacon Joseph Michael “Mike” Nugent, 90, died May 19. He served at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Streamwood.

Born in Chicago and raised on the South Side, he moved to the North Side, where he met his wife, Elsie. He graduated from Lane Tech High School and was a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

He was a resident of Streamwood for 40 years, and he served in the volunteer fire department for 10 years. He was a dedicated employee of AT&T for 33 years. Upon retirement he worked part time at the Countryside Funeral Home for five years as a hearse and limousine driver.

He and Elsie moved to Port Orange, Florida, to get away from the cold, and they lived in Florida year round for 13 years before returning to Schaumburg to be near children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife and his children Deborah Campbell, Steven, Catherine Crowell, Victoria Rundquist, Joseph, Patricia Vacura and Julie Mayer; 16 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; and his brother, George Chiaro.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Marie Charlotte Schneider, 78, died May 10 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Peoria, Sister Marie Charlotte made her first religious profession in 1963 and her perpetual profession in 1968. She taught for 46 years and served as a family care partner for three years. Sister Marie Charlotte was regarded as a “phenomenal” first-grade teacher and received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics from the state of Illinois in 1996.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Marie Charlotte taught at Visitation (1964-1969); St. Thomas More (1969-1973); St. Louis de Montfort, Oak Lawn (1973-1974); St. Martin de Porres, Waukegan (2004-2005); and St. Edmund, Oak Park (2005-2011).

She is survived by a sister, Cleo Toohill, and a brother, Marvin Schneider.

Adrian Dominican Sister Alma Marie Messing, 94, died May 20 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 76th year of her religious life.

Sister Alma Marie ministered in education in Florida, Michigan, Illinois and the Bahamas. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1967-1968); Our Lady Gate of Heaven (1978-1979); and St. Ailbe (1979-1983).

She was a computer teacher and manager (1983-1991) and program assistant (1991-2001) at the Museum of Science and Industry.

She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2018.

She is survived by her brother, Donald J. Messing.

Adrian Dominican Sister Arlene (Robert Anthony) Seckel, 83, died May 23 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 65th year of her religious life.

She served in education and pastoral ministry in Michigan, Illinois, North Dakota and Arizona, and was a leader of her congregation.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mary Mount Carmel.

She moved to the Dominican Life Center in 2017.

Sister Arlene is survived by her sister, Kathleen Hayward, and brother, Donald Seckel.

Sr. Angela Donovan