MILWAUKEE — School Sister of St. Francis Rose Zander (Columbana) died July 19, 2011 at Sacred Heart Convent, Milwaukee, Wis. The daughter of Jacob and Laura Zander, she was born February 10, 1929, in Cross Plains, Wis. She was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis June 13, 1946 and made first profession of vows June 21, 1948 and final (perpetual) vows June 21, 1954.
Sister Rose is survived by five sisters, including Sister Doris and Sister Felissa Zander of the School Sisters of St. Francis; Marion (Dommer), Lois (Severson), and Kathy (Statz); eight nieces and nephews and eight great-nieces and nephews; students and friends, and the School Sisters of St. Francis.
Sister Rose lived her religious ministry as an educator in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Latin America. In the Diocese of Madison, Sister served as a writer and Spanish teacher at St. Francis Xavier School from 2002-2005, and as a writer in Cross Plains from 1999-2008.
Sister served from 1960-1999 in Latin America, teaching at schools in Costa Rica and Honduras. She served thousands of troubled boys and families, classroom students, and adult prisoners in her ministry at St. Clare College and St. Francis School, Costa Rica; San Jose Central Penitentiary, Costa Rica; Penal Colony on the Island of San Lucas, Instituto Immaculada Concepcion in Comayaguela, Honduras; Central Penitentiary of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Centro de Orientacion Juvenil Jalteva /Complejo Pedagogico Jalteva, Honduras.
Visitation and Funeral Mass were held July 25 at St. Joseph Convent Chapel in Milwaukee.