Theresia Bohner was born October 15, 1904 in Hetzisweiler, Wurttemberg, Germany, diocese of Rottenburg.  She was the daughter of Joseph and Josepha (Lemmle) Bohner.  On May 29, 1926 she entered the Congregation in Wurzach, Germany and on January 5, 1927 Theresia entered the novitiate in Berlin – Waidmannslust, taking the name: Segolena.  She made her first vows January 6, 1928 in Berlin – Waidmannslust and made Final Vows January 6, 1934 in Meppen, Illinois, USA. 

 Sister Segolena came to the Unites States on November 26, 1928.  Years later she vividly remembered that day in 1928 when she and seven other young Sisters went through Ellis Island for inspection and received approval to enter New York Harbor and the United States.  She became an American citizen July 14, 1936.

 From 1928 – 1969, Sister Segolena ministered to people in her gentle and joyful way in the kitchen, laundry, and garden in various Salvatorian hospitals and schools: St. Mary’s Convent, Milwaukee;

St. Mary’s Hospital, Wausau; St. Saviour’s Annex and Hospital, Portage, Wisconsin; St. Joseph School, Meppen, Illinois and Sacred Heart School, Edson, Wisconsin.  It was while serving in Meppen that Sister Segolena received news of her mother’s death in far off Germany. She remembered how hard it was that she could not go home for the funeral.  Her last 10 years before retirement (1959 -1969) were spent in service at Divine Savior Hospital, Portage, WI.

 In 1969 Sister Segolena went to live in St. Nazianz where she served first in helping with the altar bread baking, and when that ministry was discontinued, she used her energies in gardening and canning the fruits and vegetables from the large garden of St. Mary’s Convent.  Her last and favorite ministry was preparing cancelled stamps to be sold for the missions.  The proceeds went to the Salvatorian Mission Warehouse, New Holstein, Wisconsin to help defray the cost of sending much-needed supplies overseas.  As a “missionary” herself from the diocese of Rottenburg, Germany, she received the diocesan paper all through the years.  She generously shared the paper with the other Sisters who knew German.

 When Sister Segolena “retired” very suddenly to Salvatorian Heights, Milwaukee in May of 2000, because of the windstorm that severely damaged the St. Nazianz convent, she continued the cancelled stamp ministry and used her spare time to pray, write letters, knit and listen to the radio.  In January 2001 she moved to the new Salvatorian Sisters Residence, Milwaukee. Here one of her great joys was to spend time in summer sitting in the courtyard of our residence where she admired the flowers and “drank in” the sunshine.  Her friend and “guardian angel,” Sister Mildred Lotzer, was ever at her side.

We all remember Sister Segolena’s clever comments and joyful spirit.  For most of her life her health was quite good, so when you asked her: “How are you?” she invariably answered: “I’m aging!”  At age 103, when she was asked for her recipe for a long life, she answered: “Eat well, sleep well, pray well and be at peace with everyone.”  Wise woman! 

 On September 17, 2008 all sisters from Salvatorian Sisters Residence celebrating Jubilee in 2008 were honored with a Mass and reception in St. Anne’s Chapel and Gathering Room.  Among them was Sister Segolena who joyfully thanked God for 80 years of vowed life as a Sister of the Divine Savior.  A few weeks before her death, Sister Segolena showed growing signs of weakness, found it more and more difficult to eat, and wanted to sleep more.  However when she was awake she was very alert.  In the evening of October 3^rd, the nurse suggested that vigil keeping begin.  The Sisters in Salvatorian Sisters Residence or the hospice nurse were with Sister through the night and at 4:30 a.m. on the 4^th, she died peacefully.  She was 11 days short of her 104^th birthday and one of two Sisters in the Congregation professed for 80 years.  All of us were touched by the Gospel of the day thinking of Sister Segolena hearing the words of Jesus:

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”

 Sister Segolena is survived by a nephew, Hans Eiberle, many grand and great-grand nieces and nephews in Germany and her Sisters of the Divine Savior.

 The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. in St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus chapel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin with visitation beginning at 11:30 a.m.