Margaret Rose Byrne

Michigan on March 18, 2014. She was born March 19, 1931 in Culbertson, Montana.

Margaret Rose was raised on an Eastern Montana sheep ranch and wheat farm her

Irish father, James Bernard Byrne, had homesteaded in 1916 after immigrating from

County Louth, Ireland. Her mother, Sarah Magdalan Brennan from Anaconda, Montana

was a teacher, and also full-blooded Irish. Margaret Rose attended grade school at the

one-room Anderson School a mile south of the family farm. Her usual modes of

transportation to school were walking or riding horseback with her brother (Jim) and

sister (Sally).

Her parents believed strongly in the value of a good education, so she attended

boarding school for high school, graduating from Holy Angels Academy in Minneapolis,

Minnesota in 1948. Driven by her desire to help others, she graduated from

Presentation School of Nursing in Aberdeen, South Dakota in 1951 as a licensed RN.

She worked the night shift at Mercy Hospital in Williston, North Dakota from 1951 to

1953. At that time, Margaret Rose and Vivian Dolan, a coworker at Mercy Hospital,

decided to spread their wings and moved to Denver, Colorado, where they quickly

gained positions at the St. Joseph Hospital, known for excellent patient care and one of

several hospitals owned and operated by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth,

Kansas. She loved the mountains near Denver and, after some lessons, took up

downhill skiing. In 1972, Margaret Rose also travelled to Ireland with her mother and

sisters to meet their Irish relatives for the first time.

During her employment and with spiritual direction from Fr. Joseph O'Malley, she

responded to the call of religious life and entered the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth

(Kansas) in February, 1955. Upon taking her final vows, her first assignment as Sister

Sarah James was a return to St. Joseph Hospital in Denver. Open-heart surgery was in

its infancy, and she established the first intensive care unit at St. Joseph, a one-bed unit

that grew to six beds. She was on the hospital team that visited hospitals throughout

the country in preparation for St. Joseph's construction of a new hospital. She also

developed the Infection Control Department at St. Joseph's.

Margaret Rose was then transferred to DePaul Hospital in Cheyenne, Wyoming as their

Night Nursing Supervisor. Several years later she was transferred to St. Francis

Hospital in Topeka, Kansas, where she was a Nursing Supervisor. During this time she

earned her BS in Nursing.

She moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1974, where she became involved in pastoral

care. She worked at both the University of Michigan Hospital and St. Joseph Mercy

Hospital in Ann Arbor. Once again, she decided to spread her wings and left the

religious life in February, 1983. While in Ann Arbor, she took several international trips

-- to Israel, Russia, and to visit her relatives in Ireland.

She continued her work as a registered nurse, while qualifying to become a Biodynamic

Craniosacral Therapist. Her diverse education, religious, and work experiences

contributed to her unique combination of personal skills: Nurse/Healer/Counsellor. She

was an active volunteer, both in prison ministry and at a soup kitchen. She loved being

in the company of others, which brought out both her sense of humor and, occasionally,

her feisty side. She cared deeply for people who were hurting, lonely, and afraid. She

had a deep faith and spent her life deepening her relationship with God. She was an

active member of St. Mary’s Student Parish (Catholic Church) in Ann Arbor, regularly

attending not only daily and Sunday masses, but also lectures, presentations, healing

services, and receptions. She frequently offered thoughtful prayers of intention at

masses, and volunteered for many tasks. Throughout her whole life she was

intellectually curious and took innumerable classes in diverse areas of study until her

last days.

Margaret Rose was preceded in death by her parents, James and Sarah Byrne; sister

Sally Byrne Craven (Dr. Robert); and nephew Peter Roney Byrne. She is survived by

her brother, James P. Byrne (Peggy) of Northfield, IL and sisters Mary Louise Byrne of

Denver, CO and Theresa Byrne Westine (Phil) of Arlington, TX. She is also “Aunt Rose”

to six nephews and nieces in Oregon and Washington State: Michael F. Craven,

Kathleen Craven McClaskey (Rod), Theresa Craven Parks (David), Dr. James P.

Craven (Jill), Daniel B. Craven, and Robert E. Craven Jr. (Malia) . . . and to five nieces

and nephews in the Chicago area: Mary Margaret Byrne Gronskis (George, deceased),

Rosemary Byrne Dowdle (Carey), James P. Byrne Jr., Kathleen Byrne Kennedy (David),

David M. Byrne (Lori); and over 20 grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Mary Student Parish, 331

Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104.