Passed away at the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center. Sister Bea was born in Denison, IA to Elizabeth (Cox) and John J. Costello. She attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Arcadia. During her senior year at North High School in Des Moines, Bea worked at St. Catherine's Hall, a boarding school for girls that was operated by the Sisters of Mercy. This was her first introduction to the religious order that she would enter. She briefly left Iowa to enter the Sisters of Mercy Novitiate in Omaha in September 1932. After taking her religious vows in 1934 at the age of 20, she returned to Des Moines where she taught at St. Peters, thus beginning her first career of teaching that spanned more than 25 years. In 1959, she was appointed Secretary to the Mother General in the Washington, D.C. area. During her 11-year stay in Washington, she had the opportunity to travel to Europe and South America as well as throughout the United States. Most important to her was a trip to Rome in 1963 to see Pope Paul VI. She also served on the Omaha Provincial Team in the late 60s and early 70s. In the mid-70s, Bea was summoned to Bishop Drumm Home, then located on Clark Street in Des Moines. There she embarked on her third career of working with the elderly. She quickly became the administrator and led Bishop Drumm for almost eight years. With the completion of the new Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston, IA, in 1980, Bea took over as the resident manager of McAuley Terrace Apartments in Johnston. Bea served as manager, counselor, security agent, taxi, nurse, neighbor and friend. Sister Bea once said, "My life seems to have completed its goal - care of the poor, the sick and the ignorant - our fourth vow. Survivors include many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by sisters, Florence Marchael and Helen Quinn; and brothers, Michael, John, and Dick Costello.