S. Jane Frances Garcia

S. Jane Frances Garcia, 98, died on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. A wake service will be held at 7:00 PM, on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 and the Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM, on Wednesday, May 22 both in Bishop Marty Memorial Chapel in Yankton. Burial will be in the monastery cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Yankton.  A livestream of the wake and funeral can be found at youtube.com/@shmpublicrelations5390/streams.

Beatriz Eusiebia Garcia was born October 29, 1925, on a ranch near Farisita, CO to Candido and Theresa (Garcia) Garcia. She was the second of six children born to this union, but since both of her parents had been widowed, she had six older half-sisters from her father’s first marriage and three half-brothers from her mother’s first marriage. 

Beatriz attended country school in Farisita and finished her elementary education at St. George’s School in Gardner. She attended Gardner High School for two years before making the journey to Yankton at age 15 to enter the aspirancy and attend Mount Marty High School. She made her first profession in 1944 and final profession in 1947. Influencing her vocation were four aunts who were religious Sisters (three Benedictines and one Loretto) and two half-sisters who became Mercy Sisters.

While in formation she oversaw boarders and taught in the elementary grades at Stephan, Fort Yates, and Polo and began her nursing career in Yankton and Parkston. She also worked at the hospital in Canon City, CO, before returning to SD for nurses’ training in Pierre. She then worked in Tyndall, Pierre, and again in Canon City and Yankton. 

She counted it as a happy privilege to be consecrated as a virgin in 1959. That same year she volunteered to be part of the new foundation of Mother of God Monastery. She spent two years as a missionary in Guatemala with that community, and also received her A.A. degree and further nurses’ training in Colorado Springs, CO. Returning to Sacred Heart Monastery, she ministered in Pueblo, Walsenburg, Antonito, and Trinidad, CO in outreach to the poor, public and home health, and religious education from 1977 to 2001. Before moving back to the Monastery in Yankton, she worked at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Sioux Falls and participated in the life of the Beresford and Centerville parishes.

S. Jane Frances was passionate about her Spanish heritage and working with the poor. In later years she enjoyed visiting with Hispanic students at Mount Marty College and kept in close touch with family and friends. 

S. Jane Frances is survived by her Benedictine community, sister-in-law Angie Garcia, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, six half-sisters, three half-brothers, her sisters Scholastica, Linda, and infant sister Marie Therese, and her brothers Ralph and Frank.