Sister Claretta Fornefeld's Story & Gallery
Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Claretta Fornefeld was born in Delphos, Ohio, in 1890, and grew up in a country home. She recalls how she “always had a longing to become a sister.” She entered St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 1908. Sister Claretta served her religious community for 56 years as a musician and artist.
Her obituary states that, “She studied music at St. Rose Convent and taught music for 19 years in schools in Wisconsin and Iowa. She pursued courses at the Chicago Institute of Art. From 1931 to 1965, she utilized her artistic talents at the art studios at the convent. Her productions were numerous and varied. She designed Christmas cards for a Church Goods Company, executed Bishop Treacy’s Coat-of-Arms, created spiritual bouquets with superb lettering done with gold leaf for Mothers General, priests, bishops, and popes — some of which may, perhaps, be found in the Vatican museum. Her specialty was the reliquary in the Chapel of Maria Angelorum. Here are contained hundreds of relics, beautifully mounted and identified.”
Sister Claretta was known as a woman of deep prayer and devotion. She died in 1980 at the age of 90 at Villa St. Joseph in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
