JOHNSTON, Iowa — Sister Rachel Beeson, CHM, 92, died Oct. 22 at Bishop Drumm Care Center.
Marietta Marie Beeson was born Feb. 7, 1932 in Des Moines to Earl and Johanna (Olmstead) Beeson. She entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary (CHM) in 1950 and professed vows in 1953 as Sister Mary Rachel.
Sister Beeson earned her teaching certificate from Ottumwa Heights College in Ottumwa in 1953 and then took classes on Saturdays for 10 years to earn her BA in education from Marycrest College in Davenport. Beginning in 1967, she worked toward her master’s degree in elementary education through Southeast Missouri State University and completed the program in 1972. She later earned a certificate in ministry through St. Louis University Corporate Ministry Program in St. Louis.
Sister Beeson served as a teacher and principal in Catholic and public schools for 38 years, beginning in 1953 in Cosgrove. In Iowa she served at St. Joseph School in Dunlap, was a founding teacher at St. Mary School in Oskaloosa, taught at St. Anthony School in Des Moines, St. Mary School in Centerville, St. Vincent School in Davenport, St. Mary School in Albia, St. Pius X School in Des Moines and St. Albert School in Council Bluffs. She also served at St. Austin School in Minneapolis and St. Denis School in Benton, Missouri.
In 1981, she stepped away from formal education to help move the CHM community from Ottumwa to Davenport, serving as plant coordinator for the Ottumwa Heights motherhouse and coordinator of retired sisters at Marycrest College, where the sisters lived until completion of the new Humility of Mary Center.
She missed working with children and began teaching religious education at St. Mary of the Visitation Parish in Ottumwa. During her time at St. Louis University, she also served as a counselor for the New Life Style Program, and then returned to education. From 1984-1987, she served as principal for North Catholic School in Clinton, overseeing the merging of multiple buildings into one large new school, and then served as principal of Hayes Catholic Elementary in Muscatine. At Hayes, she took part in adding a preschool program and many renovations, staying until 1994 when she decided to “sort of retire.”
During retirement, Sister Beeson served as the religious education coordinator for St. Anthony Parish in Knoxville from 1994-2002, was part of the CHM Seeds of Hope team from 2003-2011, an extension program assistant for the CHMs from 2005-2008, and a minister of prayer and witness at the Humility of Mary Center starting in 2011.
She was appointed to the Holy Childhood Association Committee for the Diocese of Davenport in 1987. In 2001, Sister was elected to the leadership team of the Sisters Consortium of the Diocese of Davenport and in 2003 was elected to the Sisters Council for the Iowa Catholic Conference.
Sister Beeson was an avid jigsaw puzzle worker and helped to make the community room a place of gathering and sharing stories. When she moved to Bishop Drumm Retirement Center, she continued this hobby, often joined by her brother, Msgr. Lawrence Beeson.
Visitation was held in Johnston and in Davenport. Her funeral was held Oct. 26 at the Humility of Mary Center in Davenport. Burial followed at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Davenport.
Memorials may be made to the Congregation of the Humility of Mary.