Sister Jane Louise was born in Baton Rouge, La., one of eight children of the late Sydney V. and Julia Mae Bahlinger Arbour, Sr., and was baptized Julia Mae. She is survived by 31 nieces and nephews and their children. She was pre-deceased by her siblings: Gertie Lee Arbour McNeely, Katherine Arbour Hannaman, Eloise Arbour Selig, Virginia Arbour Tomeny, Sidney V. Arbour, Jr., Julius B. (J.B) Arbour, and Robert F. Arbour.
Sister Jane Louise graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge in 1941 and entered the novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph in New Orleans that year. She professed first vows in 1943 and perpetual vows in 1946. Sister Jane Louise earned a B.A.in Education from Loyola New Orleans in 1953, a Masters in Library Science from Louisiana State University in 1961 and a Master of Arts in Theology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana in 1969.
Sister Jane Louise served faithfully and capably for 66 years at various levels of Catholic education at the elementary, secondary and university levels and adult education. She began as a teacher of first grade at St. Ann School in New Orleans in 1943 and continued teaching over the next 18 years at Our Lady of the Rosary in New Orleans, St. Joseph Academy in New Roads, La., St. Joseph Academy in New Orleans and St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge. From 1962 to 1965 she broke new ground when invited to serve as campus minister at the L.S.U. Newman Center and librarian at St. Joseph Prep Seminary in Baton Rouge. The next six years she served as librarian at St. Joseph Junior College and provincial secretary in New Orleans. The following 38 years were spent in Baton Rouge at St. Thomas More parish serving as Co-director of Religious Education, doing adult education and serving from 1976 to 2009 as Pastoral Associate. In 2014 she moved Marian Hall in Wichita, KS to live out the remainder of her life. Sister Jane Louise was beloved by her dear family, many former students, colleagues, parishioners and members of her congregation.
All services will be private for the Sisters only. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 29th, at Mt. St. Mary Convent in Wichita with burial to follow immediately in the convent cemetery. Donations in her memory may be made to Dear Neighbor Ministries or Retirement Fund of the Sisters of St. Joseph, 3700 E. Lincoln, Wichita, KS, 67218.
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