Sister Petrona Stockemer, 98, died Sunday, June 25, in the Dominican Sisters’ convent infirmary in Great Bend. Born Sept. 22, 1918, in Cunningham, as Dolores Katherine Stockemer, Sister Petrona was the daughter of the late Peter and Katherine (Fischer) Stockemer. She entered the Dominican Sisters’ Community Aug. 21, 1933, and pronounced her first vows Aug. 10, 1936. She celebrated 80 years of religious profession in 2016.
Sister Petrona gave her entire early ministerial life to elementary teaching in the dioceses of Wichita and Dodge City, and in Lincoln, Neb. After her librarian certification she was the librarian at Trinity High School in Hutchinson, altogether nearly 60 years in education. During that time she received awards for her excellence in teaching, one as outstanding Secondary Educator of America and one for recognition of her 35 years of service as a teacher in the Wichita Diocese. She retired to the motherhouse in 2006.
Sister Petrona is survived by her Dominican Sisters of Peace Community and her cousins. Her blood sister, Sister Malachy Stockemer, preceded her in death.
Sister Petrona’s body was brought to the hospitality area of the Dominican Chapel of the Plains, 3600 Broadway in Great Bend, at 4 p.m. Monday, where it will lie in state until the Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 28, with the Rev. Don Bedore presiding. A wake service will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the convent. Burial will be in the Sisters’ Resurrection Cemetery. Friends may call at the convent Tuesday from 9 a.m. until the time of the wake service. Memorials in honor of Sister Petrona may be sent to Dominican Sisters of Peace, 2320 Airport Dr, Columbus OH 43219-2098 or sent securely to OPPeace.org.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home*
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune June 27, 2017