Introduction and conclusion  by Sister Margaret Ann LaCapra

Tonight we come to say goodbye and thank you to Sister Cyprian Vondras, who joined the community on June 1, 1942.  When we went into quarantine in March, I knew the days would be long for Sister Cyprian, so I asked her to write her life’s story since the majority of the community do not know anything about her early life.  I now will try to tell her story as she wrote it to me.

Sister Cyprian’s Biography in Her Own Words

 Can a person tell all that happened in 100 years?  Sr. Margaret Ann thinks that is possible, so this is my story.

My parents, Frank Vondras and Rose Hosek were married in November 1918 in Chicago, Il.

After World War I, there were few jobs open.  My dad got work in a candy factory until it went bankrupt.  Poverty rose to a new high, so my parents depended on food and shelter from relatives.  To make matters worse, I came in September 1920.  Grandma Hosek came to take care of me and helped me become a nice bounty, short-winded baby girl.  It was all old school as the language was all Bohemian.  Soon it was time to start school, and the Bohemian school was six miles away.  There was an Irish school two blocks away, so I was sent there.  Somehow, I learned English by listening, phonics and help.  I also learned to read.  Reading became my lifesaver.  There was a lot of sickness in the school, so I missed so much that I had to repeat 2^nd grade.  I enjoyed school and would work in the library after school.

High school went along smoothly for two years; then all schooling stopped for me.  My sisters wanted an education also, so I took care of my sisters and brothers, did the cooking, cleaning, and all I could to help mom.  Later mom got me a job working in a drug, cosmetic company shipping room for five years.  From there, I entered the convent on June 1, 1942.  Sister Wenceslaus, my mother’s sister, was a great influence in my life.

There were twelve of us in the class; and with prayers, classes, working in the laundry, and cleaning we were pretty busy.  The six months went very quickly, and the day arrived for us to get the habit and a new name.  We were then sent on a mission immediately.

Sister Wilma and I were sent to Seneca.  There were twenty Sisters already there.  The next morning we all went to Mass, and then I was to teach 1^st grade.  I had no idea where the classroom was, but there was a little boy playing in the yard, so I asked him where the 1^st grade classroom was.  He said it was in the basement of the Church.  That began my teaching career.  I guess I wasn’t a total failure because Sister Mary Beth Niehaus is a product of that year.  I taught 1^st and 2^nd grades from 1944 to 1971.  I taught in Seneca, Baileyville, Kelly, and in Kansas City, Ks.  It was while I was in Baileyville that I taught myself to knit which I continued until I started to crochet and continued the rest of my days.  I gave many of my things for the Night of Dreams, for the poor, and just to give away.

At this time, I was asked to go to St. Anne’s in Prairie Village to be a cook for Msgr. Curtin, the Chancellor of the Diocese.  It was a very interesting two-year experience.  Next, I worked in the convent kitchen fixing trays for the sick and helping with the cooking.  When they were building Dooley Center, I was asked to work in housekeeping.  Vivian Jones was in charge, and the maintenance did a lot of the heavy lifting.  I worked in housekeeping until I retired and moved to Dooley as a resident.  And now I am 100 years old.  I have had a very good life.  My story.

I had the pleasure of being Sr. Cyprian’s companion for almost eight years thanks to Sister Loretta McGuire asking me to take over for her when she became the Pastoral Care Director.  We became very good friends, and she was a great inspiration and example to me.  She suffered very much in her life due to heart and lung problems, loss of her eye to cancer, loss of hearing, and difficulty in walking but never complained or gave up.  Her remedy for all was “Get a hobby,” which she did.  She loved to read, work her puzzles, and do her crocheting.  Her prayer life and community were most essential to her.  She was very faithful in writing to her sister and family every week or more often as she wanted.  She was grateful to everyone for any kindness, help, or gift to her.  She will be missed.