Sister Mary Siena (Annella) Wald, 79, died on January 7, 2021, at St. Francis Convent, Little Falls, Minn.
Annella was born on July 27, 1941, in Napoleon, N. Dak. She was the first of five children born to the late Stanley and Helena (Bosch) Wald. She was accepted as a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls, Minnesota, on July 31, 1959, and received the name Sister Mary Siena. She made her first profession of vows on August 12, 1961, and final vows on August 12, 1964. She was a Franciscan Sister for 61 years.
Sister Siena earned a bachelor of science degree in therapeutic recreation and a long-term care certificate in administration from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She also studied at St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn., and the University of Arizona, Tucson, to obtain a master’s in administration. She has ministered as a director of recreation, volunteer coordinator, chief executive officer, program director and administrator. Sister Siena served in Little Falls, Onamia, Pierz and Breckenridge, Minn.; Tucson, Ariz.; Sisseton, S. Dak.; Sun Valley and Los Angeles, Calif.
As a person with many interests, lots of energy and talents, Sister Siena thoroughly enjoyed life and gave it her best. As a young sister her desire was to be a teacher. She said, “I had never wanted to work with older people, but (after being assigned to a nursing home by her superiors) as the months passed I found that I was meant to be with them.” Wherever Sister Siena has ministered, new things happened to improve the lives of the people with and to whom she ministered. In 1971, as a senior in college, she won the G. B. Fitzgerald Award at the University of Minnesota, for outstanding achievement in the field of therapeutic recreation. She continued to win many awards throughout her life. In 1977 she received the State of Arizona’s Therapeutic Recreation Innovative Programming Award, and in 1978 her leadership in Therapeutic Recreation in Arizona earned her the Outstanding Leadership Award. In 1980 she served as the State of Arizona’s Therapeutic Recreation Section President and was involved in coordinating numerous educational workshops in Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota and Oregon. She was appointed to the Board of Examiners of the California Nursing Home Administrators in 1993 by California Governor Pete Wilson. The La Mesa, Calif., Rotary Club awarded her with a beautiful plaque in recognition of her outstanding service as a mentor in 2003. Sister Siena was also active in service clubs and professional organizations. She was the first woman to join the Kiwanis Club in Sisseton, S. Dak., and was one of the first in Tucson, Ariz.
Prayer was always very important in her life. She used prayer in her ministry as a way to make objective decisions from Christ’s point of view. This was done especially as she worked with residents and staff on ethical decisions about whether to prolong life by artificial means when dealing with the elderly.
Sister Siena was preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Harvey, Luella Klein, Isadore and Markus. She is survived by sisters-in-law LuElla, Margaret and Becky; brother-in-law Jack Klein; numerous nieces and nephews; special friend Liz Sether; and her Franciscan Community.
A private burial was held for Sister Siena on January 9, 2021. A Memorial Mass was celebrated on August 29, 2021.
