Sister Le Clare Beres
The Road She Traveled
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It is through helping those in need that Sister Le Claire finds endless inner joy. She has dedicated her life to caring for the poor and underserved in such a way that they always feel loved and accepted. As one local writer once said, “Sister Le Clare is proof that the good life isn’t in the having, but in the giving.” - Karen Sibenaller
Sister Le Claire Beres was born in Elroy, Wisconsin to loving parents of 11 children. She was a member of a hard working farming family that learned to live off the land without the modern conveinces of refrigerators, air conditioning, or television. At an early age, she was helping out on the farm picking berries, pitching hay, shucking corn, and chopping wood. Her reflections on this time of her life are positive, and she remembers, “We learned how to save – and how to get along without.” It is this early experience that influences her later choices to help people in need. Sister Le Claire Beres was born Evelyn Marcella Beres, but as was tradition, donned her name of faith after joining the St. Rose Covenant in 1944 and taking her final vows in 1952. There were times in her life when she questioned this decision, but each time God called back to her and told her she was following the path he had chosen for her.She graduated from Elroy High School in 1943 and was on her way to St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll, Iowa within a year for her initial schooling to become a nurse. She graduated from Viterbo University with a bachelor of science in nursing in 1956, and she earned her masters in nursing administration in 1976 from Marquette University.After completion of her nurses training, she became the head nurse in the pediatrics wing of St. Anthony Hospital in Iowa. In 1964, she was offered an opportunity of a lifetime. She was asked to go to Guam where she served as the director of nursing for the government hospital. After earning her master’s degree, she returned to La Crosse to work as a healthcare coordinator for the Franciscan Sisters before finally accepting a position as an associated director of nursing at St. Francis Hospital. In 1983, The Indochinese Screening Clinic opened, and she became the director. Working in this clinic made her realize that there were many people in La Crosse that did not have proper healthcare, so she helped write proposals to create The St. Clare Health Mission in 1993. She ran this clinic for the next ten years. Sister Le Clare has a true joy of life and a passion for human beings. She has traveled to Guam, the Holy Land, India, and Asia and loves to read, bicycle, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Coulee Region. Sister Le Claire has received endless amounts of honors for her service in our community including the following:
- Certificates of Appreciation; La Crosse Area Resettlement Program – 1984-1998
- Pope John XXIII Award, Viterbo College
- YWCA Tribute To Outstanding Women, Medical Field - 1992
- Spheres of Influence Award, St. Francis Foundation – 1993
- Iverson-Freking Award, St. Joseph Nursing Home – 1996
- La Crosse Tribune Person of the Year – 2002
- Outstanding Community Service Award, Marquette University, 2004
Sister Le Clare has had the opportunity to become deeply embedded in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and this opportunity has given her a deep and spiritual love for helping those in need. Her ability to listen, give freely, have fun, trust others, problem solve, keep a positive attitude, and to continually move our community forward is part of what makes her such a special woman
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Project Creator
Alyssa
7th Grade Student |
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View Complete Interview
A special thank you to Sister Le Clare for participating in this interview.
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