Sister Mary Paula Pohlmann, 91, died on December 26, at Alverna Apartments, Little Falls, Minn.
Rita Agnes Pohlmann was born on March 2, 1928, in Melrose, Minn. She was the fourth of six children born to the late Joseph and Mary (Soenneker) Pohlmann. She attended rural elementary schools and then attended St. Francis High School, graduating in 1946. In 1948 she followed her three aunts, Sisters Valeria Soenneker, Agnes Soenneker and Elizabeth Soenneker to the Little Falls Franciscan Community. She was accepted as a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls, Minnesota, on August 12, 1948, and was given the name, Sister Mary Paula. She made her first profession of vows on August 12, 1950, and final vows on August 12, 1953. She was a Franciscan Sister for 71 years.
Sister Paula became a registered nurse following studies at St. Francis School of Nursing, Breckenridge, Minn. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and a Master’s degree in Hospital Administration from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo.
She ministered as a staff nurse, instructor, nursing service director, personnel director and administrator in Breckenridge and Little Falls, and in Dodgeville, Wis. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Catholic Health Association for several years. She also served as Director of Health Services for the Franciscan Sisters. In 1976, she was elected Community Minister and she served in that capacity for eight years. Many changes took place during those years and Sister Paula moved through those changes with acceptance and balance and assisted the Community to do the same. At the completion of her term, she moved to Berkeley, Calif., and studied massage. She was a massage therapist and Trager Practitioner in Berkeley for 22 years. She then spent several years at Clare’s Well in Annandale, continuing her massage ministry. She moved to Little Falls in 2018, where she pursued an active retirement.
Sister Paula was a woman of integrity and discernment who used her many talents in service to her religious community through leadership in the health care field. She had a great love and a deep respect for each person with whom she connected, and preferred one-to-one contacts. She loved to dance and celebrate whenever she had the opportunity. She had a great love for nature in all its forms and especially enjoyed watching the eastern sky for the first glimpse of sunlight followed with spectacular colorful surprises. Of her call to the Franciscans of Little Falls she said, “To be part of a group of women committed to making a difference in the world, even though the ‘how to’ was not always clear, has been a tremendously stretching experience. I have been inspired by the goodness around me, by the modeling of compassionate souls, by the generous examples of women who endured great difficulties with resilience and faith. I am grateful and humbled to have been called into the company of this community.” She herself truly exemplified this belief.
Sister Paula was preceded in death by siblings Valeria Boecker, Eddie, Lawrence and Joseph. Survivors include her sister Marie Dobmeier, nieces, nephews and her Franciscan Community.
A wake was held for Sister Paula on Friday, January 3, 2020. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on January 4, 2020, at St. Francis Convent.
