Meyers RSM, Sister Judith

Sister Judith Meyers RSM, 79, died Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013, at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids after a brief illness. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the Chapel of Mercy on the Mount Mercy University campus, by the Rev. Larry Burns. Burial will be at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids at a later date. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the Chapel of Mercy, with a wake service at 7 p.m. Arrangements are with Teahen Funeral Home.

Sister Judith was born May 5, 1934, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the daughter of Amos and Helen Kula Meyers. She attended St. Ludmila Elementary School and graduated from Wilson High School in Cedar Rapids in 1952. Sister Judith entered the Sisters of Mercy Cedar Rapids Community on Aug. 1, 1953, and professed final vows on Feb. 2, 1959. As a Sister of Mercy, she began her ministry in the classroom, teaching at St. Joseph's, DeWitt; St. Patrick's, Anamosa; St. Patrick's, Fairfax; All Saints, Cedar Rapids, and St. Matthew's in Kalispell, Mont. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids and a master's degree in hospital administration from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. in 1966, preparing her for a ministry in health care. Sister Judith interned at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka, Kan., before serving in various administrative capacities at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids for 16 years. She also served five years as vice president of North Campus Marian Health Center in Sioux City, Iowa and 10 years as the first vice president of Mission Effectiveness at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. While at Holy Cross Hospital she assumed the role of chief operating officer for 10 months while a search was underway for a new president. In 1997, Sister Judith returned to Iowa as director of Religious Education and RCIA coordinator for nine parishes in and around Carroll. In 2000, Sister Judith returned to Cedar Rapids to accept the newly developed position of director of Mission Integration for her religious community's three sponsored works: Mercy Medical Center, Mount Mercy University and the Catherine McAuley Center.

Upon her retirement in 2009, Sister Judith assisted with several duties around Sacred Heart Life Center, including convent receptionist, planning nightly card games and organizing parties for sporting events, such as the Super Bowl and the NCAA basketball tournament. Sister Judith enjoyed sports and oftentimes would attend sporting events at Mount Mercy University to cheer on the Mustangs.

In addition to the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Judith is survived by a sister, Sally (Norm) Wylie of Homestead; two brothers, Andrew (Mary Rita) Meyers of Fairfax and Jim (Dollie) Meyers of Cedar Rapids; two nieces and seven nephews; and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Memorials may be sent to the Sisters of Mercy at 1125 Prairie Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.

Published Oct. 28, 2013 in The Gazette