Sister Catherine (Huberta) Verbeten O.P.

Sister Catherine Verbeten, O.P., 102, passed away at Siena Center, Racine, WI on Sunday April 3, 2016.

Catherine Petronella was born July 12, 1913 to Martin and Nell (nee: Coonen) Verbeten in Combined Locks, WI. On August 1, 1932 she joined the Racine Dominicans and at her reception in 1933 she was given the religious name Sister Huberta. She professed her first vows in 1935 and her final vows in 1941. In 1968 she returned to using her baptismal name Catherine.

Sister Catherine spent many years in service to others in teaching. She began her ministry in 1932 at Assumption Grotto, Detroit, MI. In Racine she served at Holy Name, St. Rose, St. Mary and St. Patrick. Other places in Wisconsin where she served were St. Bernard, Madison; St. John, Little Chute; Holy Name, Kimberly; St. Mary, Kenosha; and Holy Cross, Kaukauna. After she finished teaching at Holy Cross she served as a Senior Companion in Kaukauna. After moving to Siena Center in 1993 she continued her ministry in the Senior Companion Program.

Sister Catherine is survived by the Racine Dominican Sisters and Associates; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents; her brothers Robert, Gerald (Jeff) and infant Edward; and her sisters Dorothy Marolf, Mary Vanevenhoven and Grace Kugler.

Visitation will be in the Siena Center Chapel on Thursday April 7, beginning at 9:00 a.m. with a Remembering Service at 9:30 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Interment will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery Hwy 32. Memorials to the Racine Dominican Mission Fund have been suggested.

Special thanks to the Resident Care Aides and nurses at Siena Center for their wonderful care of S. Catherine as well as the staff at Hospice Alliance, especially her aide, Nicole.