GREAT BEND — Sister Mary Rose Engel, 93, died Oct. 30, 2012 in the Dominican Sisters’ convent infirmary in Great Bend.
Born Aug. 22, 1919, in Ness City, as Mary Engel, Sister Mary Rose was the daughter of the late Anton and Pauline Hertel Engel. She entered the Dominican Sisters’ Community on Sept. 28, 1934, and pronounced her first vows on Aug. 12, 1937. She celebrated 75 years of religious profession this year.
Sister Mary Rose ministered as a teacher in parochial elementary schools all her ministerial life from 1939 to 1992. She was sometimes both teacher and principal in seven of these schools including Dubuque, Willowdale, St. Patrick Great Bend, Larned, St. Leo, St. Patrick Kingman, and St. Peter Schulte — all in Kansas. When she moved to the Motherhouse in 1998 she served in many community services such as receptionist, sacristan, chauffeur for the sisters, and gardener, among others. She especially loved to care for the rose garden. She retired in 2005.
Sister Mary Rose Engel is survived by her Dominican Sisters of Peace religious community; and a sister, Jane Penka of Rancho Mirage Calif..
Sister Mary Rose’s body was brought to the hospitality area of the Dominican Chapel of the Plains, 3600 Broadway, Great Bend, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, where it will lie in state until the Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. on Friday with the Rev. Reginald Urban and the Rev. Francis Oroffa MSP concelebrating. A wake service will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday. Friends may call at the convent from 11 a.m. until the time of the wake service at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday morning until the time of the funeral. Burial will be in the Sisters’ Resurrection Cemetery. Both the wake and the funeral will be held at the convent (see chapel address above).
Memorials in honor of Sister Mary Rose may be sent to, Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Dr., Columbus OH, 43219-2098. Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home*
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS, 67530
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Nov. 1, 2012