Luella Dames was born in O’Fallon on Jan. 24, 1933, the third of 10 children of Eugene and Frances (Albers) Dames. She entered the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood on Jan. 24, 1955 and professed first vows on Aug. 10, 1957.

Sister Luella earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education at the University of Missouri. She held three master’s degrees: one in counseling from Indiana State University; one in spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska; and one in music education from Washington University in St. Louis.

Sister Luella taught elementary grades at Holy Family School and St. Clement School in St. Louis and Our Lady of Fatima School and Sacred Heart School in Florissant. She was a teaching principal at St. Agnes School in Bloomsdale. She also served as a counselor at St. Elizabeth Academy in St. Louis and as campus minister and instructor at St. Mary’s College in O’Fallon. She gave 10 years of service as vocation directress, leading her community’s efforts to promote vocations to religious life.

Love of the liturgy was a cornerstone of Sister Luella’s life. She served as organist and director of liturgy at Incarnate Word Parish in Chesterfield, St. Charles Borromeo Parish in St. Charles and at the motherhouse in O’Fallon. Leading people to know and love God was the primary motivator in Sister Luella’s life. Throughout her ministries as teacher, vocation promoter, musician, spiritual director and liturgical educator, planner and leader, her desire was always the same — to help others deepen their relationship with God.

Sister Luella was preceded in death by her parents and by her brothers, Eugene (Rose Mary) and Frank (LaVerne) Dames. She was also preceded in death by her sisters Loretta (Ben) Keaveny, Helen (Junior) Segrass, and Ruth Dyer and her brother-in-law Vernon Griesbauer. She is survived by her sisters Mary (Bob) Schuette, Celine Griesbauer, Clara (Paul) Hoeckelmann and Theresa (Alex) Hernandez; her brother-in-law Patrick Dyer; and by many nieces and nephews.