Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Marian Schlueter (formerly Sr. Mary Dominic) died March 17 at age 87 at Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. She was born Marian Edith Schlueter on May 6, 1924, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of William J. and Mary (Bankemper) Schlueter. Sr. Marian Schlueter was a Sister of Charity for 69 years.

Sister earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of Mount St. Joseph, Cincinnati, in 1957 and a master’s degree in education from Xavier University, Cincinnati, in 1963. 

Sr. Marian was born and raised in Cincinnati, attending St. Matthew’s elementary school and Regina High School before entering the Sisters of Charity in 1942. She was proud of her 50-year ministry in education, which included New Mexico, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.

Sister began her teaching at St. Vincent in Albuquerque, N.M., where she served from 1944-47; from 1947-52 she taught junior high students at Guardian Angels, Detroit, and moved to St. Mary’s, Marion, Ohio, to serve as elementary principal from 1956-58). She taught junior high again at St. William, Cincinnati, in the 1958-59 school year.

In 1959 she returned West, serving as principal at St. Mary and San Felipe, both in Albuquerque, N.M., (1959-67). In her autobiography, Sr. Marian refers to her special time at San Felipe: “My greatest satisfaction came at San Felipe convent and school,” she said.

“Achievement results improved so much that the superintendent of schools questioned how we did it.  Many of our children were bilingual. To encourage the parents to send their children to the Head Start program, I visited them. So many benefitted from the program that Sargent Shriver (founder of the national child development Head Start program) gave me a special award.”

Sr. Marian served 27 years in her native Cincinnati, beginning at St. Joseph Orphanage (1967-71). Other Cincinnati schools include St. Saviour (1971-72); St. Mary, Hyde Park (1972-73); St. Andrew, Milford (1973-85); Gressle (1985-90); and St. Vincent de Paul (1991-94). In her retirement years, Sr. Marian pursued her love of art and served as a volunteer at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, receiving her five-year pin in 1999.

“Our sisters overcame unimaginable obstacles in the past, with few sisters and little money,” she stated in her jubilee news release. “Looking forward, my hope and my dream is that we can and will continue meeting people’s needs.”

A dear friend, Sr. Mary Grafe, recalls Sr. Marian’s love of life and the affirmations she gave to others.

“I don’t think she ever met a stranger; she was such a delightful person that people felt at ease with her,” Sr. Mary said. “I know she is happy to be with God, her mother and dad in heaven.”

Sr. Marian Schlueter is survived by her sister Judith Elliott, a niece and a nephew. Her sister Betty Ann Schlueter preceded her in death.

Mass of Christian Burial for Sr. Marian Schlueter was March 23 in Cincinnati. Burial will be in the Sisters of Charity cemetery.

Memorials in Sr. Marian Schlueter’s name to the Sisters of Charity Retirement Fund, 5900 Delhi Road, Mount St. Joseph, Ohio 45051.