Sister Margaret Ann McManus, 94

by Daily Inter Lake
| November 23, 2006 5:11 AM

Funeral and burial services for Sister Margaret Ann McManus, RSM (formerly Sister Mary Annunciata) who passed away Sept. 4, 2005, and who donated her body to the Anatomy Department at University Hospitals in Iowa City, will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 28, 2006. The Mass of Resurrection will be held at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel and burial to follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.

Sister Margaret Ann McManus was born Aug. 6, 1912, in De Witt, Iowa, the daughter of Edward and Hazel Butterfield McManus.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Marcella Wagner; and two brothers, Robert and Paul. In addition to her Sisters of Mercy, Sister Margaret Ann is survived by a sister, Esther Hovey; and a brother, E. Eugene; both of De Witt, and several nieces and nephews.

Sister Margaret Ann entered the Cedar Rapids Regional Community of the Sisters of Mercy on Jan. 3, 1932, and made her final profession of vows June 23, 1937. She celebrated her Jubilee for 70 years as a Sister of Mercy in 2002.

She received her associate's degree from Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids; a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of St. Teresa in Winona, Minn.; and Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees from St. Louis University in St. Louis. She did post-doctoral study and research at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, and at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

Sister began her ministry in education, teaching in various schools of the Archdiocese of Dubuque including St. John in Waterloo, Sacred Heart in Oelwein and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids.

Sister Margaret Ann established Schools of Medical Technology and Radiological Technology at Mercy Hospital (now Medical Center) in Cedar Rapids, at Mercy Hospital in Anamosa and at Kalispell General Hospital in Kalispell.

She chaired the division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Mount Mercy College for 22 years and directed the Department of Genetics at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids for 17 years. She published a number of articles on her academic and research work, and received several research grants and awards for her work. After retiring to Sacred Heart Convent in Cedar Rapids in 1997, Sister continued to do research in her chosen medical field.