Sister M. LaVern Olberding, OSF age 81

Sister LaVern Olberding, 81, passed away on January 11, 2026, at The Alverno in
Clinton, Iowa. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 17,
at The Canticle, 841 13th Ave N in Clinton, with Rev. James Vrba presiding. A
livestream link is available at https://clintonfranciscans.com/news–events/in-memory.
Visitation will be at The Canticle from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Friday, January 16, with a
rosary at 3:45 p.m. and wake service at 6:00 p.m. Burial will be in St. Irenaeus Calvary
Cemetery. Pape Funeral Home is assisting.
Sharon Rose was born on January 15, 1944, in Fort Dodge, IA, the eldest child of
Vernice and Margaret (Lynch) Olberding. She was baptized on January 30, 1944, at
Sacred Heart Church in Pocahontas, IA. She had four sisters, Rita, Joan, Verna, and
Mary Anne, and two brothers, Ronald and Merlin.
She attended St. Columbkille School in Varina, IA, for both elementary and high school,
graduating in 1961. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent in
Clinton on September 8, 1961. She received the name Sister Mary LaVern at her
reception on June 13, 1962. She pronounced first vows on August 12, 1964, and made
her final vows on August 12, 1967. Among her novitiate classmates were Sisters Mary
Jane Hopkins, Carmel Jacobs, and Barbara Rosener.
Sister LaVern earned an A.A. from Mount St. Clare College, Clinton; a B.A. in chemistry
from Marycrest College, Davenport, IA; and an M.R.E. in religious education from
Seattle University, Seattle, WA.
She taught science, math, and religion courses at schools in Clinton and Danbury, IA;
Lexington, NE; El Cajon, CA; and Maysville, KY. She was the Director of Religious
Education at parishes in El Cajon and Manteca, CA. Sister LaVern served as a campus
minister at the University of Louisville, Louisville, KY. 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, she moved to the San Diego, CA, 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.
In 2012, Sister LaVern co-founded the Franciscan Peace Connection in La Mesa, CA,
and ministered as its director until its closure and her retirement in 2024. This outreach
ministry offered opportunities for workshops, study groups, and trainings in promotion of
active nonviolence and life skills to a variety of people and groups.
She was the Clinton Franciscans’ recipient of the Franciscan Federation’s Peacemaker
Award in 2018. 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 moved to The Alverno in Clinton on September 16, 2025, and remained there until
her death on January 11, 2026.
Sister LaVern 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.
Sister LaVern is survived by her sisters, Joan Godbersen, Verna Halligan, and Mary
Anne “Annie” Hawthorne; brothers, Ronald (Carol) and Merlin (Robin); several nieces
and nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews; and the Sisters of St. Francis with
whom she shared life for 64 years. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Rita Olberding.