Mother Agna, of Franciscan Sisters, Dead
MANITOWOC—Mother M. Agna, immediate past superior general of the Franciscan
Sisters of Christian Charity, died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack
Friday at Canton, Ohio. She was 74.
Mother Agna, a member of the Catholic order of nuns devoted to teaching and
hospital service, had been a member of the order since Aug. 12, 1914, when
she professed her vows.
In July of this year she had completed two six-year terms as superior general
of the order. She had been elected in 1957 and again in 1963 by the community
of sisters. The past several weeks she had been visiting with relatives in
Ohio.
Headed Major Projects
During her tenure as superior general, Mother Agna had been active in the
completion of the new Holy Family College at Alverno, immediately west of the
mother house of the order on Silver Lake, and the building of the new multi-
million dollar addition to Holy Family Hospital.
Mother Agna, several years ago, visited in South America in order to determine
where the Community should establish its first foreign mission. It subsequently
was located in Peru.
Mother Agna taught school at Mingo Junction, Ohio, Chicago and St. Boniface
Parochial School at Manitowoc and was history instructor at Holy Family College.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree at Catholic University, Washington, D.C.,
in 1935.
She was elected vicaress general of the community in 1945, serving 12 years in
that capacity.
In August of 1964, she observed the golden jubilee of her membership in the
Franciscan order.
Funeral Monday
Mother Agna was born March 13, 1895, at Iglo, Czechoslovakia, daughter of the
late Johann and Julia Serva Beller. Rose Beller came to the United States as
a child with her parents, and the family settled at Ironwood, Mich., where she
attended parochial school until receiving the habit of St. Francis June 4, 1912.
She is survived by two brothers, Joseph of Youngstown, Ohio, and John, of Woodruff,
Wis. A sister, Sister Rita Ann, and a brother, August, preceded her in death.
Funeral services will be at 4 p.m. Monday at the convent chapel. The Rev. Joseph
Beller of Youngstown, Ohio, a nephew, will officiate and burial will be in the
convent cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the convent. Arrangements are by
Pfeffer Funeral Home.
Manitowoc Herald Times, September 13, 1969 P. 12
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Sister Agna name Superior General
The new Superior General of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity
elected Aug. 19 at the Manitowoc, Wis., motherhouse of her order, is the
former Rosa Bellar(sic) of Ironwood, daughter of the late John and Julia
Bellar. She is a sister of John Bellar of Woodruff, Joseph of
Youngstown, Ohio,, Mrs. Joseph Stupak of Manitowoc, Mrs. Julia Dietz of
Evergreen Park, Ill, Sister Rita Ann of the Franciscan Order, Covered
Wells, Ariz and Mrs. Michael Krainak and August F., deceased. When
residing in Ironwood, the Bellars were members of Holy Trinity parish.
Mother Agna will head a community of more than a thousand sisters, among
whom are the sisters who staff St. Ambrose School. This community
conducts 85 schools throughout the United States and Hawaii and three
hospitals, two homes for the aged and the domestic departments of two
seminaries. Mother Agna was elected by a group of 90 delegates who were
in turn chosen by the vote of the whole community.
Mother Agna entered the Franciscan Order in 1911 and subsequently held
posts in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio. She helped to organize
St. Willibrord High School in Chicago and served there as principal for
five years. Her excellent reputation as a teacher caused her to be
called to the Catholic University at Washington D.C., to teach at the
model school on the campus there. Prior to the recent election, Mother
Agna was Vicaress General of the order, a position she held since 1945.
She is being succeeded in that office by Sister Virginia Marie, who at
one time was a member of the faculty of St. Ambrose High School.
Ironwood Daily Globe, Ironwood, Mich. Sept. 24, 1957
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Genealogy notes. Various spellings for the surname...Bellar, Béler, Beller.
Father: Johannes Béler 1854-1920, son of Johannes and Anna Kovalick Béler Iglo, Slovakia.
Mother: Julsanna Szerva 1859-1940, daughter of Michael and Mary Antal Szerva, Iglo, Slovakia.
John and Julie were married about 1876 and lived in Iglo Austria-Hungary. They had 9 children of which 8 survived.
1) Maria 1879-1951 married surname Krainak.
2) Johannes/John Anton Jr. 1878-1970 died in Woodruff, Wisconsin.
3) Julia 182-1967 married surname Dietz. died in Illinois.
4) Catharina 1884-?
5) Anna Justina 1887-1964 married Joseph Stupak 36073627
6) Jozsf/Joseph Steven 1892-1975 died in Youngstown, Ohio.
7) August Frank 1893-1956 232043312
8) Rose/ Mother Agna 1895-1969 97990035
9) Jennie/Sr. Rita Ann 1905-1967 97989963
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Birth name Rosalia Matilda Beller. Born in Iglo, Spisska Nova Ves, Czecheslovakia per convent notes.