Claudette Conrad, SNJM

Edith Conrad grew up in Spokane, Washington, the third of the nine children – six girls and three boys – of Claude and Catherine (Jamieson) Conrad. Her family home was close to Holy Names Academy, and she followed in her mother’s footsteps attending HNA. She spent twelve years at including all her elementary and secondary years.

The Sisters who taught her were a great inspiration and the seeds of a vocation were planted very early. During childhood she always held a desire to become a Holy Names Sister.

On July 25, 1949, she entered the Sisters’ novitiate at Marylhurst, Oregon, less than two months after graduating from high school. During the novitiate, Edith received her religious name. She wanted the name “Claude” to figure into her name out of respect and love for her father. When the name read out for her was Sister Mary Claudette — “little Claude” — she was more than happy.

Her first assignment, while she was still a novice, was as a fourth grade teacher at the Immaculate in Seattle. She later taught in schools across the Pacific Northwest in Seattle, Spokane, and Portland, mostly at the eighth grade level and/or as a principal. Over time she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education.

After three decades Sister Claudette left teaching in 1983 and joined the staff of St. James Cathedral Parish, Seattle, as minister to the elderly and homebound where she served for 24 years. When she retired in 2004, she moved to Spokane to join other Holy Names Sisters living at South Hill Village retirement community.

Sister Claudette had left a ministry working with the elderly, and in some ways, she has considered her time at South Hill the same thing, just changed in a way. In the afternoons she has made her way from her apartment to the main lobby in order to take up a regular spot to make herself available to whomever might stroll by. Sister Claudette has described this as her “ministry of the lobby.” She has been there to listen if anybody wants to talk and has found it personally fulfilling to be able to journey with others and share in their stories.

We join in gratitude with Sister Claudette as she celebrates her 75th anniversary as a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and a gracious and caring life.