CLINTON — Sister LaVern Olberding, OSF, 81, passed away on Jan. 11 at The Alverno.
Sharon Rose Olberding was born on Jan. 15, 1944, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the eldest child of Vernice and Margaret (Lynch) Olberding. She attended St. Columbkille School in Varina, Iowa, for both elementary and high school. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent in Clinton in 1961 and received the name Sister Mary LaVern. She pronounced first vows in 1964 and made final vows in 1967.
Sister Olberding earned an A.A. from Mount St. Clare College-Clinton, a B.A. in chemistry from Marycrest College-Davenport, and an M.R.E. in religious education from Seattle University. She taught science, math, and religion courses at schools in Clinton; Danbury, Iowa; Lexington, Nebraska; El Cajon, California; and Maysville, Kentucky.
Sister Olberding’s ministry was multifaceted. She was the director of religious education at parishes in El Cajon and Manteca, California, and served as campus minister at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Later, she served as a pastoral minister at a parish in Louisville and as the pastoral care coordinator for Dismas Charities in Louisville, where she worked with felons at numerous halfway houses. She returned to Clinton and served as a campus minister at Mount St. Clare College/The Franciscan University.
In 2004, Sister Olberding moved to the San Diego area where she continued to promote active nonviolence and peacemaking while working as an operations coordinator for Atwood and Thompson, Inc., in Spring Valley, and as a catechesis coordinator for a parish in El Cajon. She co-founded the Franciscan Peace Connection in La Mesa in 2012, and ministered as its director until its closure and her retirement in 2024. During her time in California, she served on the board of directors for the Peace Resource Center of San Diego, acting as vice president and president. She was the Clinton Franciscans’ recipient of the Franciscan Federation’s Peacemaker Award in 2018. Sister Olberding moved to The Alverno in 2025 and remained there until her death.
Sister Olberding was affectionately known as the “Fun Nun.” Her laughter and smile always brightened the room. She extended her kindness and compassion to everyone, especially those living on the margins. She left a lasting impact on all the lives she touched, and she remained in contact with many of the individuals that she ministered to or with.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 17 at The Canticle in Clinton. Burial followed at St. Irenaeus Calvary Cemetery.
