Sister Francis, baptized Marianne, was born on Oct. 12, 1929, in St. Louis to parents Joseph Bernard and Mary Theresa (Meinert) Feise. She was received into the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1948. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Fontbonne College in 1960 and a master’s in special education from Loyola University in Chicago in 1964.

Sister Francis began teaching in St. Louis. She taught at St. Joseph’s Home for Boys (1950-1955); St. Anthony of Padua School (1955-56); and St. Leo School (1956-1958). She taught the next five years in Chicago at St. Joseph Home for the Friendless (now known as St. Joseph Carondelet Child Center). Moving to Georgia in 1963, she served as teacher and assistant administrator at St. Joseph Male Orphanage in Washington (1963-66) and at the Village of St. Joseph in Atlanta (1966-69).

The following eight years, she was principal at Most Holy Rosary in St. Louis. She returned to the Village of St. Joseph in Atlanta in 1977 and served three years as the dorm supervisor. Her last three years in education were teaching at St. Mary School in Waco, Texas.

In 1983, Sister Francis moved to New Orleans and served as a residential counselor at the Jesuit Living and Learning Program for the next 18 years. Sister Francis returned to St. Louis in 2001 and served in home service at CSJ Care until her retirement in 2007. Since 2019, she resided at Nazareth Living Center, where she continued to carry out her ministry of prayer and presence until her passing.

Burial was in Resurrection Cemetery.