The funeral Mass for Sister Marie Inez Bocklage, SSND, was celebrated April 25 at School Sisters of Notre Dame Theresa Center chapel in south St. Louis County. Sister Marie Inez died April 21 at Anna House in Bridgeton. She was 76, and a former teacher, missionary, provincial leader and counselor.

Born in Washington, Mo., she entered the congregation of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1959, professed first vows in 1961 and final vows in 1966. She earned a bachelor’s in biology from the former Notre Dame College in St. Louis in 1963 and a master’s in education from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 1972.

After teaching assignments in Illinois and Iowa, Sister Marie Inez was among the first four SSNDs to go to Sierra Leone, in 1973. She taught at Yengema Secondary School for seven years. After returning to the United States and taking a sabbatical, she served as an administrator at the former St. Louis motherhouse for two years. She returned to Sierra Leone in 1983, serving as a postulant directress and teacher in the town of Kabala.

In 1987, she was elected provincial leader of the former St. Louis province. From 1994-2000, she was a counselor at Catholic Family Counseling Services in St. Louis. In 2000, she went to Nigeria, where she served in education and counseling. She returned to the U.S. in 2005 and performed community service at the former St. Louis motherhouse until she was missioned to Anna House in 2010.

Sister Marie Inez is survived by a brother, George Bocklage of Washington, and a sister, Sharon Bocklage of St. Louis.