RAPID CITY | Sister Edna Marie Stephenson, OSB, 79, entered eternal life on Feb. 19, 2019, at Fort Meade. She was born on Jan. 6, 1940, in Dover, NJ, to Samuel and Helen Prickett. She was named Edna Marie Prickett and was the oldest of five children. As a young child she lived in the country. Her family moved to Goshen, NY, when she was about ten. When she lived there her parents had a band in which most of the family members were involved.

She was with the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Patterson, NJ, for a few years. She attended junior college while with that community. She joined the Air Force in 1965. Her basic training was in San Antonio, TX, and she was then stationed at Barksdale AFB, Shreveport, LA. For a period of time after being in the air force, she trained standard bred race horses.

She and her family moved to Buffalo, WY, in 1980. Sister Edna Marie was married, widowed, and the mother of two sons.

After her husband's death she felt called to return to religious life. She entered St. Martin Monastery on Sept. 29, 1994. She made her first profession there on July 9, 1996, and her final profession on July 11, 1999. Her first ministries in the community were assisting in the community center and in the gift shop. Sister Edna Marie then became the coordinator of the community center. She obtained her certification in spiritual direction in 2005 from Mercy Center, Colorado Springs, CO. She had a great desire to work on the reservation and spent one year ministering in Our Lady of the Sioux Parish, Oglala. She then returned to the monastery and has been the subprioress there since 2008. In addition to being subprioress she has had numerous other ministries, including those of coordinator of the health care unit and formation director. As supervisor of the grounds and gardens, she took special care of many flower beds and the small fruit trees and became a Master Gardener.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Lewis and Samuel.

She is survived by her two sons, Thomas Hanson and Joseph Hanson; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; her brother, George Prickett; her sister, Helen Saxfield; numerous nieces and nephews; and the members of St. Martin Monastery.

Visitation begins at 5:30 p.m., with a 6:30 p.m. vigil today at St. Martin Monastery Chapel.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Holy Cross Chapel, Terra Sancta. Burial, with military honors will be at St. Martin Monastery Cemetery.