Sister Helen Hergot 1936-2018
| Born June 7, 1936 Yosemite, California Entered St. Walburg Monastery August 15, 1954 Received Habit July 2, 1955 Made First Profession August 24, 1956 Died December 27, 2018 |
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Sister Helen Hergott was born in Yosemite, California on June 7, 1936 to H. Stanley and Esther Bramlage Hergott. She was the oldest of three daughters. After the death of her mother, her father married Gabriella Blau, who brought her two sons and one daughter into the joined family.
Helen graduated from St. Henry High School in 1954 and entered St. Walburg Monastery that August. She became a novice in 1955 and was known as Sister Stanislaus. First profession followed in 1956 and perpetual profession in 1959. Sr. Helen celebrated her silver jubilee in 1981, golden in 2006 and diamond in 2016.
Like many of the Benedictine Sisters, Sr. Helen began teaching years before completing a college education. After many summers and weekend courses at Villa Madonna College she was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 1965. An experienced elementary and religious educator by that time, Sr. Helen continued her education at Xavier University, from which she received a Masters in Education in 1975 as a reading specialist.
Sr. Helen taught primary and intermediate grades at diocesan elementary schools in Northern Kentucky from 1956 until 1967. She taught at St. Ann’s in Manchester KY from 1967 to 1976, and cherished the years she spent there. Returning to Northern Kentucky she spent ten more years teaching until becoming an elementary consultant from 1986 to 2001 at the Department of Catholic Education.
From 2002-2004 Sr. Helen studied Pastoral Chaplaincy at Christ Hospital. She then served as a chaplain at St. Elizabeth Healthcare until 2011 when she retired.
Helen liked people. Her eyes sparkled upon meeting new or old friends. Helen was welcoming, gracious and warm. She laughed easily. Her health declined in the last few years, but not her agility. She challenged the community to keep up with her, until for her safety she was moved to the Memory Care Unit at Madonna Manor. She had a stroke and died peacefully on December 27, 2018. Helen is survived by her sister Ruth McGoron and brother, Jack Blau, many nieces and nephews, friends and her Benedictine community. Vigil service was held the evening of January 2 and the Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday, January 3, with interment following at St. Walburg Cemetery