Sister M. Anne Hays

Sister M. Anne Hays

Sister M. Anne Hays, age 90, of Alliance, passed away Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, at the Marian Residence in Alliance.

A wake service was held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011, at the Marian Chapel in Alliance.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, at the Marian Chapel in Alliance with Father Lou Nollette officiating.

Burial will be in the Calvary Cemetery.

Bates-Gould Funeral Home in Alliance was in charge of arrangements.

Sister Anne was born on Sept. 26, 1921, to Henry and Anna (Reinsch) Hays in Gillette, WY, and was named Mary Kathryn.

She entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity at Marycrest in Denver, CO, in 1938. She was professed as Sister Mary Anne on Aug. 20, 1940.

Sister Anne taught at St. Francis Mission in South Dakota from 1940 to 1947, then at Holy Rosary Mission until 1951. She also taught school in O'Neill in the early 1950's until returning to St. Francis and Holy Rosary Missions from 1953 to 1974. 

She received her BA degree from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, in 1961. From 1977 to 1989 she did missionary work in Mexico then returned to Marycrest in Denver. She would continue to make return missionary trips for extended periods until 2005 when she retired and moved to Alliance.

Sister Anne is survived by her brother Bill (Verna) Hays of Gillette, WY; and her sister, Joyce (Gary) Burrell of Bozeman, MT.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Robert and Jim.

A memorial for seminarians may be given to the Catholic Church Extension Society of the United State of America, 150 South Wacker Drive, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606. Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com.