Elizabeth Louise Stoffel was born on April 26, 1928 to Charles and Mary Stoffel.  Charles was a banker and a prominent member of the Cicero community.  Both parents were active in Mary Queen of Heaven parish. Elizabeth (known as Betty Lou during her younger days) was the youngest of three children.  She had a sister Marian and a brother Charles.  All three of them attended Mary Queen of Heaven School in Cicero.   Betty Lou attended Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park for high school where she was an excellent student and a member of the band. Her instrument was the flute.  After graduating from Nazareth, Betty Lou enrolled at Mundeleine College.  She and Margaret Halligan were great friends in high school and frequently met at an ice cream shop where two years after graduating from Nazareth, they met and unbeknown to the other, announced their intention to enter the Sisters of St. Joseph. Betty Lou and Margaret entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in September of 1947 and were received into the community the following August.  Margaret receiving the name of Sr. John Patrick and Betty Lou was given the religious name of Sr. Mary Charles. Not long after that, word came that Betty Lou’s brother Charles (Chuck) was killed in service by friendly fire.  This was devastating news for the family and friends. Sr. Mary Charles earned a bachelor’s degree from Rosary College in 1951 with a major in Spanish and a master’s degree from Notre Dame in 1960 with her major field being Spanish. She began her teaching career in grammar schools teaching mostly in the upper grades.  She taught at Mt. Carmel in Melrose Park, St. John Fisher in Chicago, Divine Infant in Westchester, St. Margaret Mary in Chicago, St. Bonaventure in Chicago, and St. Francis Xavier in LaGrange from 1950 until 1964. In 1964 to 1973 she taught Spanish at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park and served as the Assistant Principal from 1967 to 1970. From 1973 to 1978 she taught English as a second language at Wells High School in Chicago.  She returned to Nazareth Academy and taught Spanish until 1984.  From 1984 to 1999, her ministry changed to Pastoral associate, chaplain and director of Pastoral Care at St. Anne Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital, Maria Health Care and Bethlehem Woods. With the changes in religious life, Sr. Mary Charles went back to a “new” version of Elizabeth and became known as Sr. Beth. In her retirement years, she worked as a volunteer at the St. Barbara Food Pantry in Brookfield, as a substitute teacher, performed various clerical duties for our CSJ Development Office, and volunteered for the Adopt a Grandparent Program and for the adult education program in Lyons Township. Friends remember her dry humor, her great sense of loyalty and her many lady-like qualities.  She was described as a faithful friend and a wonderful companion.  She loved to take trips with her family and friends and these included vacations to California, Canada, Mississippi, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Washington D.C., Florida, Michigan, Alaska and Mexico. In her later years, Beth helped care for her mother who suffered from Alzheimer disease. Unfortunately in 2010, this disease also became a part of Beth’s own life and resulted in her residence at Resurrection Life Center. In her beloved Spanish language we say: “Que bueno a pasar por el mundo, cantando mi fe.”  (“How good to pass through the world, singing my faith.”)  Amen, Beth. Alleluia!