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Sister Mary Julia Steinkamp, SNJM
Sister M. John Michael
March 25, 1931 – July 18, 2025
Sister Mary Julia Steinkamp, SNJM departed this life on July 18, 2025 in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Sister Mary Julia celebrated 94 years of life and 73 years of her religious profession.
A Mass of Resurrection will be held on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Holy Names Chapel in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Sister Mary Julia Steinkamp, SNJM
March 25, 1931 – July 18, 2025
Sister Mary Julia Steinkamp, SNJM, 94, died on July 18, at Mary’s Woods at Marylhurst in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Her Mass of Resurrection is Thursday, August 21, 11am, Chapel of the Holy Names, Marylhurst. Inurnment follows at nearby Holy Names Cemetery.
Mary Julia grew up in Brooks, near Salem, Oregon. Her parents, Fritz and Veronica Martini Steinkamp, moved to their Willamette Valley farm in 1925, where they raised Mary Julia and her siblings, Leo, William, George, Vincent and Zita.
After her high school graduation from Sacred Heart Academy in Salem in 1950, Mary Julia entered the Sisters of the Holy Names at Marylhurst, Oregon, eventually receiving the religious name Sister Mary John Michael.
A creative and caring person with a strong sense of justice, Sister Mary Julia taught middle grade students most of her long teaching career. Her first assignment was at St. Aloysius School in Spokane. She went on to teach in both Washington and Oregon, including in Portland, Salem, and Gervais. She was also twice asked to be a practical nurse in the Sisters’ infirmary at Marylhurst.
Mary Julia was known to many for her writing. She published over a 100 articles including in national publications such as the Catholic Digest. In 1995 she released her first book, River of Life, a collection of spiritual reflections. Several others followed, including Short Meditations for Busy People and The Bear, The Rug, and the Echo Tree, a children’s book designed to help children understand the meaning of peace, forgiveness and respect.
Her love of writing began early. Two articles were published before she entered the convent and, as a teenager, she told her mother that ink flowed in her veins. But, she had many other interests including bicycling, creating greeting cards, cooking, and wood carving, fashioning more than 200 depictions of Mary and the baby Jesus.
In 2014, Mary Julia moved to Mary’s Woods at Marylhurst, a continuing care retirement community near Lake Oswego, where she engaged in prayer ministry, sharing her gifts of prayer and spiritual wisdom with residents, and her freelance writing, donating all proceeds to Holy Names Sisters’ ministries in Lesotho, Africa.
Mary Julia will be remembered for her love of teaching to which she brought her delightful sense of humor, a big heart and a love of storytelling. She will be remembered for her love of jokes and puns, using her vast collection to brighten the day of those in need of a little joy, She will be remembered for her willingness to extend a hand to help anyone in need and for her deep devotion to the Blessed Mother, freely sharing her love of Mary with others.
A Holy Names Sister for nearly 73 years, Sister Mary Julia is survived by her nieces and nephews and members of her religious community. Remembrances may be made to Sisters of the Holy Names, PO Box 398, Marylhurst, OR 97036 or online at www.snjmusontario.org/donate.