Sister Mary Paul Hummer, OSF, age 100, of Clinton, passed away Monday, September 19, 2022, at The Alverno. A Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 23, at The Canticle, 841 13th Ave N in Clinton. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, September 22, at The Canticle where a rosary will be recited at 4:00 p.m. and a wake service begins at 6:30 p.m. Masks are required, and it is requested that those attending any service be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Burial will be in St. Irenaeus Calvary Cemetery. Pape Funeral Home is assisting.

Mary Paul was born on December 3, 1921, in Iowa City, IA, the youngest child of Paul and Mary Katharine (Kerby) Hummer. She had one brother, Charles, and one sister, Mary Marcellina.

She attended Marengo Public Elementary School and St. Mary Elementary and High School in Iowa City, IA, graduating in 1939. She took courses from the University of Iowa, Iowa City; received an A.A. degree from Mount St. Clare College, Clinton, IA; a B.A. degree in History from the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN; and earned an M.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN.

Mary Paul taught in rural schools near Fort Atkinson and Sabula, IA, before entering the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent, Clinton, on September 8, 1948. At her reception on June 20, 1949, she retained her baptismal name. She made her first profession on August 13, 1951, and her final profession on August 13, 1954.

Sister Mary Paul held a permanent professional Iowa certificate to teach in both elementary and secondary schools. She spent most of her active ministry teaching English, French, Latin, and history as well as elementary classes. In Clinton, she taught at Sacred Heart School and Mount St. Clare Academy serving also as librarian. Other locations in which she ministered were Denison, Vail, and Victor, IA; Chicago, IL; Maysville, KY; Reedley, Gardina, and Lemon Grove, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Muskegon, MI; and Freeport, Grand Bahama.

She retired to Mount St. Clare Convent in 1982, moved to The Canticle in 1997, and transitioned to The Alverno in 2017. She remained at The Alverno until her death on September 19, 2022.

She was an avid learner and enjoyed reading and sharing ideas with others. When her health allowed it, Sister Mary Paul volunteered her time at Prince of Peace Parish and the Victory Center in Clinton, always happy to share her gifts wherever needed.

Sister Mary Paul is survived by nieces, Kathy (Doug) Lowe and Marcie (Robert) Anderson; nephews, Jim (Jane) Hummer and Frank (Sandy) Hummer; nephew-in-law, Terry (Rita) Ortman; and by the Sisters of St. Francis with whom she shared life for 74 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Charles (Virginia) Hummer; sister, Mary Marcellina Hummer; and niece, Teresa Ortman.