06/02/2026
There have been people who made a big impact on the Chippewa Valley without living here long. Sister Superior Calista was one of those people. Sister Calista was born in Germany but lived in the United States for more than 35 years. She arrived in Eau Claire in 1919 and was the Supervisor of the Operating Rooms at Sacred Heart Hospital. Three years later she found herself being summoned to Decatur, Illinois, where she worked for sixteen years.
In 1938, she, now known as Sister Superior Calista, returned to Eau Claire to assume charge of the entire hospital. She was only in that position for three years before she passed away, but she accomplished a lot in those three years. She oversaw a remodel of the maternity ward, adding an additional labor room, updating lighting, and constructing quarters for doctors on call. This remodel also upgraded lighting in the operating rooms and installed a paging system to locate doctors quickly throughout the hospital. She organized the Sacred Heart Hospital Guild and oversaw the Golden Jubilee celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Sacred Heart.
Sister Calista was well respected, and upon her death, she was “praised for her high attributes of character, her great charity, her motherly heart, her ability and energy, all which contributed to the success of her administration of affairs of the hospital.”
Although she suffered from heart disease, she devoted long hours to managing the hospital. She went off duty at 6:30 one night in February 1941 and passed away at 7:30 the next morning. Her funeral was held at the Sacred Heart Chapel, and then Mother Magdalene traveled to Eau Claire to transport Sister Calista to Springfield, Illinois by train on the 400 where she was buried at the St. Frances Convent, one of the largest in the US. Her contributions in Eau Claire continued to benefit families for decades after she was gone. Diana, Editor
📷Sister Superior Calista, Leader Telegram 2-7-1941
