| Notes |
- 1940 US Census, Easby, Cavalier County, North Dakota
Household headed by Edward G. Wild; owner; home value $4000; 47 years old; born in North Dakota; completed 8th grade; worked 60 hours during week of March 24-30, 1940; occupation farmer. Wife Dorothy D. Wild, 39 years old, born in Minnesota, completed high school, occupation housework. Son Edward G. Wild, 16 years old, completed 1 year of high school, born in North Dakota. Son Robert W. Wild, 14 years old, born in North Dakota, completed 8th grade. Son David D. Wild, 13 years old, completed 7th grade. Daughter Dorothy A. Wild, 13 years old, completed 6th grade. Daughter Joyce M. Wild, 11 years old, completed 5th grade. Daughter Barbara L. Wild, 9 years old, completed 2nd grade. Son Peter W. Wild, 7 years old, completed 1st grade. Daughter Susan M. Wild, 6 months old.
Barbara Wild Given Awards On Honors Day At Mayville
Mr. and Mrs. Edward G. Wild of Osnabrock attended Honor Day ceremonies at Mayville STC May 14 when their daughter Barbara received the Delta Kappa Gamma award and recognition for other activities. She was chosen for the "Who's Who," and received awards for library work, Student Council, class officer, the college publication and received a jacket from the athletic association. Awards were presented by Pres. O.A. DeLong.
Mr. and Mrs. Wild stopped in Grand Forks on their return to visit with their daughter, Mrs. Emery Johnson, and Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Schneider, former Langdon residents.
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Entered the Benedictine Order as Sister Brian
2013 excerpt from Crookston newspaper article about the jubilee of Sister Brian Wild and others
When I first thought of being a sister in 1949 to July 11, 2013 is indeed longer than 50 years. Certainly before 1949 I am indebted to my parents for our family's firm foundation and family life. We lived on a farm thirteen miles from Langdon, ND, which meant we attended country school for our first eight years. Since we lived in the country all eight of us children worked and played together.
When it came time for high school, our parents arranged for us to go to high school at Saint Alphonsus in Langdon and come home on weekends. We girls could stay at school, which was staffed by the Presentation Sisters from Fargo, and our parents arranged for the boys to have a place to do light housekeeping during the week. It was during those high school years when we had more exposure to the sisters and priests who staffed Saint Alphonsus parish and school. Each spring, the high school students had a mission/retreat and it was during my senior year - and I can remember the very pew I was sitting in during the retreat that it came to me what I should do after high school - enter religious life. I didn't tell anyone and there was nothing in writing but in my mind it was a "promise" to God and I was not about to break that "promise".
Somewhere along the way I had read the quotation "God writes straight with crooked lines." I thought of that quote many times and I guess that pretty well describes my years since high school graduation that spring in 1949. After a year at home I enrolled as a student at Mayville State Teachers College (now a University). I received a one year scholarship provided I would return to my home county to teach in a rural school for two years. This I did, and then went back to Mayville to earn my bachelor's degree with a math major. As I was looking as to where I might teach, two conditions were always part of my decision making. Because of my "promise" during senior year, I desired to keep that thought uppermost in my mind so I wanted a town where I would be able to attend daily Mass and a town near enough to be able to drive home each weekend.
Teaching mathematics in Devils Lake, ND, met both of those conditions, so the first two years after graduation I spent in Devils Lake. After those years, I worked in the public school system in Moorhead, MN, for two years, this time, in charge of two libraries (my minor in college). Although I didn't know it at the time, this situation also met my conditions plus it also gave me the help I knew I needed. I was getting older and I also knew that age thirty was sometimes a cut-off point for considering a religious vocation. I was able to attend daily Mass at Saint Joseph's Church. Father Ferdinand, the pastor, noticed me and he talked to Sister Lioba, the principal at Saint Joseph's School at the time about this girl who always comes to Mass.
Sister Lioba approached me shortly after and asked if I would be interested in seeing the Mount. I don't think I even knew the Mount existed. The only thing I knew about Crookston was that there was a school of agriculture there. That was the break-through I needed because I knew I was not able to do any of this on my own. It is really thanks to Father Ferdinand and Sister Lioba that my "promise" would be fulfilled. I entered Mount Saint Benedict that fall as a postulant with Sister Brigetta as the postulant mistress. There were 12 postulants at that time and we lived in "Angels Dorm" - the top floor of the music conservatory. We were six when we moved to the Mount for the novitiate. Sister Aquina, novice mistress, and Sister Cornelia, nuniorate mistress, certainly did their utmost to further strengthen bonds with the community. After the novitiate and final vows in 1968, came 25 years of teaching math (each year a very enjoyable and rewarding experience) at Mount Saint Benedict Academy in Crookston, Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks and Shanley High School in Fargo, ND. Later, I taught grade school at Saint Joseph's in Moorhead.
I have been back at the Mount since 1990. It was at this time it became necessary to demolish the original monastery and begin the construction of the new one. I was very much interested in this, and the previous sister in charge of buildings and maintenance was no longer with us which meant there was an immediate opening for me in that line of ministry - a ministry in which I am still involved today. Now another new building is to be constructed, which I hope means I will be ale to continue to be involved. Those crooked lines have finally become straight, for which I am certainly most grateful along with the helpers along the way.- ==========================
OBITUARY FROM KROAX.COM, 13 May 2022:
On November 12, 1930, Sister Brian was born in Fargo, North Dakota, the sixth of eight children of Edward George Wild, Sr., and Dorothy Daggett Wild. She was given the name Barbara Louise Wild at her baptism.
She obtained a bachelor of science degree in secondary education in 1957 from Mayville State Teacher’s College, Mayville, ND, and taught in the Moorhead Public School System.
Barbara entered the Benedictine community on August 15, 1961, and she received the Benedictine habit and the name of Sister Brian on July 2, 1962. Sister Brian made temporary vows on July 11, 1963, and final monastic profession on July 11, 1968.
Sister Brian served as a mathematics instructor and a part-time librarian at Mount Saint Benedict Academy in Crookston, a physics and mathematics teacher at Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks, a mathematics teacher at Shanley High School in Fargo, ND, and a fifth-grade teacher at Saint Joseph’s School in Moorhead. In 1990, Sister Brian moved to the Mount and took up the responsibility for purchasing, maintenance, and security. In addition, if a sister wanted anything, she could go into Sister Brian’s office and receive anything sisters had turned in to her: watches, tools, office supplies, and numerous other items, including all kinds of batteries. It is impossible to surpass the organization of minutiae in Sister Brian’s office. And, she knew the location of everything!
Sister Brian loved the challenge of jigsaw puzzles, and she could often be seen putting one together. She was also an avid card player.
Sister Brian is preceded in death by her parents: Edward George Wild Sr. and Dorothy Daggett Wild, and siblings: Edward George Wild, Jr., Peter Wild, Rev. David Wild, Robert Wild, Joyce Mattson (Melvin), and Dorothy Johnson (Emery). She is survived by Sister Moira Wild, OSB of Saint Benedict’s Monastery in Saint Joseph, MN, many nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.
A prayer service celebrating Sister Brian’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 19. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. The Mass of Christian Burial will be live-streamed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.
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Reflection in memory of Sister Brian from her companion Sister Eileen. (During Sister Brian's later years in a nursing home, Sister Eileen served as her companion and intermediary with the family.)
May 19, 2022
How fitting that Sister Brian died on May 8, for that was the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday because of the Gospel reading assigned for that day and which we just heard this morning. Good Shepherd Sunday is meaningful to every sister in this community because we celebrate it each year as the anniversary of our founding on Good Shepherd Sunday, 1919.
I think it is safe to say that Sister Brian first heard the voice of the Good Shepherd at an early age as she attended Mass and learned about the Catholic faith. His gentle, yet persistent voice must have grown in her heart, nudging her into pursuing a teaching degree. Yet those early years of teaching were not enough for Sister Brian. Jesus, the Good Shepherd called her to the monastic life in this community at Mount St. Benedict. Sister Brian heard His call and responded with her whole heart, entering the community in 1961 and making final monastic profession in 1968. Recognizing Sister Brian’s excellent teaching gifts, the prioresses through the years assigned her to teach in the area’s Catholic schools. She was highly regarded as a teacher and was loved by her students. Teaching was her passion and her ministry.
After several successful years of teaching, Sister Brian was assigned a new ministry here at the monastery, taking charge of purchasing, maintenance and security. She was good with the details of these tasks and kept everything in order. Her job included supervising employees in maintenance. Employees who reported to her regarded Sister Brian as kind, fair and supportive. In our first reading this morning from the Book of Revelation we heard, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… let them find rest from their labors, for their works accompany them.” No matter what she did, Sister Brian worked tirelessly and responsibly. As a monastic, Sister Brian was faithful: faithful to community prayer, faithful to private prayer and faithful to the duties of this way of life.
She was often seen in chapel whenever she could catch some moments between her work duties as well as in the evening. Due to a medical condition, she would typically fall asleep during prayer times. She was resting in the Lord and I think
that was just fine with Him! She took the time to sit in God’s presence and surely God accepted her intention and received her loving presence. In the evenings Sister Brian enjoyed working on puzzles and playing cards with the sisters. She was pretty sharp at those games and also enjoyed the banter with the other card players. They enjoyed her delightful chuckle.
After Sister Brian died, we packed up her things from her room at the Villa. Her clothes and personal effects fit on one cart! Talk about simple living! Her office was a different story. Oodles of community items were tucked into the drawers and cupboards. But then, this was a different aspect of simple living. If a sister could find a used watch from her collection, that meant she didn’t have to go out and buy one.
Sister Brian was accepting when she was asked to move to the nursing home. The staff truly enjoyed taking care of her. She had a positive attitude and was uncomplaining. She continued to put jigsaw puzzles together and took part in other activities. As part of the ritual of our visits, I would tell her that she needed to open an envelope containing some “special medicine”. Even in her dementia, she caught on and would say, “Oh, I bet it’s chocolate!” Chocolate was a lifelong love of hers. Whenever she received visits, candy or any gift, she was gracious and appreciative right to the end.
In our sadness and loss we rightly take comfort in Jesus’ promise: “My sheep hear my voice. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” Sister Brian, take rest from your labors and your suffering, for the voice of Our Good Shepherd has indeed called you Home. I bet He’s even got a stash of chocolates just for you!
Sister Eileen Beutel, O.S.B.
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1930 - 2022 (91 years)
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