Age 97
Born Mary Alberta Clark, Sister Maura was the oldest of nine children. As such, she came upon the work of healing ministry very early in life.
Sister Maura attended a country school in York, Nebraska, and St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in York where she was taught by the Ursuline Sisters and later the Benedictine Sisters.
She discovered her love of nursing as she continued her education as St. Catherine’s School of Nursing and Duchesne College, both in Omaha, Nebraska. She received her Bachelor of Science in nursing.
While Maura had a passion for nursing, she also had great love for her family. It was out of concern for her family that she delayed entering the Sisters of Mercy until she was 29 when most young women entered at age of 18.
Sister Maura was accepted for graduate studies in the Catholic University of America where she received her master’s degree in nursing. She served as an instructor of nursing at St. Catherine’s School of Nursing and at College of Saint Mary. She was also the director of the schools of nursing at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, Nebraska, and at Mercy Hospital in Denver, Colorado.
Sister Maura held many leadership positions throughout her nursing career, creating and establishing numerous programs that benefited the patients she served. At the request of the Sisters of Mercy Leadership Team in Omaha, Maura became the director of retirement at St. Joseph’s Nursing Home in Portland, Oregan.
Sister Maura then felt called by God to a new form of healing ministry; she became a chaplain at Providence Hospital in Portland, Oregan. While there, she established and directed the Pastoral Care Department. She later served as a chaplain at Mercy Medical Center in Nampa, Idaho.
Before and after official retirement, Sister Maura served as consultant and active member in many nursing organizations.
Sister Maura was an avid musician and continued her music ministry even after her retirement. She was also extremely skilled at quilting. She made many quilts for family, for friends, and for display in many ministries.