Submitted by: Mary Jo Koran

Sister M. Alma Louise Fitch

March 31, 1911 - March 28, 2001

Sister M. Alma Louise (Mary Louise Fitch), C.S.C., 89, was born in Huntertown, Ind., daughter of John Parker Fitch and Mary Alma Urbine Fitch. Sister died on Wednesday, March 28, and is survived by her cousin, Dorothy Junk of Fort Wayne, Ind.

Sister M. Alma Louise, before entering the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, was a graduate of Saint Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing, Fort Wayne. She entered the congregation on Jan. 31, 1933, made first vows on Aug. 15, 1935, and made her final profession on Aug. 15, 1938. Sister continued her nursing practice in the Midwest from 1935 to 1944: at St. John's Hickey Memorial Hospital, Anderson, she was head nurse, 1935-1936, and operating room supervisor, 1936-1938, at St. Joseph's Hospital, South Bend, Ind.; at St. Mary's Hospital, Cairo, Ill., Sister was operating room supervisor, 1938-1944, night supervisor, 1944-1945, x-ray supervisor, 1945-1946, and administrator and superior, 1946-1947. After taking courses for x-ray technologist, Sister Alma Louise became a licensed member of the American Registry of X-Ray Technologists in 1945. She then studied to handle medical records and gained her license from the American Medical Record Administration in 1958. Sister was x-ray department supervisor, 1947-1948, at Our Saviour's Hospital, Jacksonville, Ill. At Saint John's Hickey Memorial Hospital, Anderson, Sister was supervisor in the x-ray department, 1948-1958, and supervisor in medical records, 1954-1969.

Sister was called to Saint Mary's Generalate to manage the Congregational Archives Department and records in 1969. She was responsible for the file system which contains information on all the sisters who have ever been in the congregation. Sister, with her gift of organization, made genealogical and transcript searches much easier for those in the archives department. Sister Alma Louise lived in Queen of Peace Convent and, as health needs required, moved to Saint Mary's Convent where she was active in the ministry of prayer until her death.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry with the Poor Fund, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, IN 46556.

Wake service will be at 6:30 p.m. today, March 29, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, Ind.

Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 30, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's, followed by interment at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame.

The Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling arrangements.