Reverend Father Francis Jerome Steffen entered eternal life on December 28, 2020 at the age of 89, at Edenbrook Nursing Home in Platteville, Wisconsin. He was born on November 18, 1931 in Platteville, Wisconsin, and is predeceased by his parents, Frank and Florence (Klar) Steffen, by his sister, Rosemary (Elmer) Digman, and his step-mother, Clara Steffen (Bussan, Tesmer).
After attending Sunnydale Rural Grade School in Belmont Township, and then St. Mary Parish Grade School, Platteville, Fr. Steffen attended Loras High School in Dubuque, Iowa. He completed his collegiate studies at Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy in 1953. He attended St. Francis Major Seminary, Saint Francis, Wisconsin, for theological studies. After ordination, he subsequently earned a Master of Arts in Library Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fr. Steffen was ordained to the sacred priesthood by The Most Reverend William P. O’Connor, Bishop of Madison, on May 25, 1957 at St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison.