Sister Joan Sheil
Sister Joan Sheil, CHM, 90, died Dec. 24, 2024, at Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston. Services at Bishop Drumm Our Lady of Peace Chapel were Dec. 28. Services at Humility of Mary Center, Davenport, were Dec. 30. Burial was in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Davenport.
Margaret Joan Sheil was born July 28, 1934, in Des Moines and grew up in Mount Ayr. She entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary (CHM) in 1955 and professed vows in 1958 as Sister Michael Maureen.
Sister was a lifelong learner dedicated to libraries and scholarship. She had bachelor’s and master’s degrees in library science. In addition to her formal degrees, she completed continuing education studies on numerous topics over the years.
Sr. Joan served Marycrest College/Marycrest-Teikyo University/Marycrest International University for 43 years, most recently as director of library services (1972-1999). Between 1991 and 1998, she had 19 committee appointments. She also enjoyed softball, tennis and camping. She taught numerous courses as well. After retiring from Marycrest, she served as a staff assistant at the Humility of Mary Center in Davenport for two years, and, from 2001-2017 served as archivist there. Since 2017, she exercised a ministry of prayer and witness at the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center.
Unafraid of change, Sr. Joan was an advocate for embracing new technology, encouraging early adoption of computers in the Marycrest library and working among the first librarians to link their collections online in the Quad Cities area. She was a member of, and served in many capacities, for numerous professional organizations.
She published on the topics of incorporating media into higher education and research, provided in-service workshops on topics of libraries and media, served as a panelist for regional and national library and audiovisual meetings, and was an evaluator for high school libraries through the North Central Association evaluation team and for the BOOKLIST publication of the American Library Association.
Her service also included the CHM community, for which she served on multiple committees concerning governance and development, and in 2000 she chaired the Stewardship Committee.
Sister Joan is preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her cousins, Michael (Diane) Sheil, Sandy Sheil, Denise (Paul) Cameron, Donna Sheil, Janice Sheil and the religious community she shared life with for 69 years.
Memorials may be made to the Congregation of the Humility of Mary. Arrangements were by Iles Dunn’s Chapel.
Margaret Joan Sheil was born July 28, 1934, in Des Moines and grew up in Mount Ayr. She entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary (CHM) in 1955 and professed vows in 1958 as Sister Michael Maureen.
Sister was a lifelong learner dedicated to libraries and scholarship. She had bachelor’s and master’s degrees in library science. In addition to her formal degrees, she completed continuing education studies on numerous topics over the years.
Sr. Joan served Marycrest College/Marycrest-Teikyo University/Marycrest International University for 43 years, most recently as director of library services (1972-1999). Between 1991 and 1998, she had 19 committee appointments. She also enjoyed softball, tennis and camping. She taught numerous courses as well. After retiring from Marycrest, she served as a staff assistant at the Humility of Mary Center in Davenport for two years, and, from 2001-2017 served as archivist there. Since 2017, she exercised a ministry of prayer and witness at the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center.
Unafraid of change, Sr. Joan was an advocate for embracing new technology, encouraging early adoption of computers in the Marycrest library and working among the first librarians to link their collections online in the Quad Cities area. She was a member of, and served in many capacities, for numerous professional organizations.
She published on the topics of incorporating media into higher education and research, provided in-service workshops on topics of libraries and media, served as a panelist for regional and national library and audiovisual meetings, and was an evaluator for high school libraries through the North Central Association evaluation team and for the BOOKLIST publication of the American Library Association.
Her service also included the CHM community, for which she served on multiple committees concerning governance and development, and in 2000 she chaired the Stewardship Committee.
Sister Joan is preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her cousins, Michael (Diane) Sheil, Sandy Sheil, Denise (Paul) Cameron, Donna Sheil, Janice Sheil and the religious community she shared life with for 69 years.
Memorials may be made to the Congregation of the Humility of Mary. Arrangements were by Iles Dunn’s Chapel.