Sister Rachel Willett, educator, dies at 94

Sister of Charity of Nazareth Rachel Willett, formerly Sister Jerome, died at Nazareth Home on June 2. She was 94 and had been a religious for 73 years.

Sister Willett, a native of Fancy Farm, Ky., served as an educator and secretary and helped write biographies of SCN leaders.

She served as a teacher and principal in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Arkansas for nearly 40 years. She also taught at Spalding College, now university, and Paducah Community College.

She served as secretary to Bishop Emeritus John McRaith of Owensboro, Ky., and to Sister of Charity of Nazareth Emily Nabholz when she served as president of the congregation.

Sister Willett collaborated with other sisters to write biographies of Mother Mary Catharine Malone and Mother Ann Sebastian Sullivan, which are included in the series “Impelled by the Love of Christ.”

She is survived by her brother, J. Emmanuel Willett of Crestview Hills, Ky., sisters Lenora Turney of Annandale, Va., and Celeste Russell of Paducah, Ky., nieces, nephews and her religious community.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on June 7 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Vincent Church in Nazareth, Ky. Burial will follow.

Visitation will be on June 6 at Nazareth Home, 2000 Newburg Road, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and at St. Vincent after 4 p.m. A prayer service will be held at St. Vincent at 6:30 p.m.

Memorial gifts may be made to the SCN Office of Congregational Advancement, P.O. Box 9, Nazareth, Ky., 40048.

The Record
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