Sister Charlene or Carol Hockers was born in De Pere in 1935 to Norbert and Margaret (Vercauteren) Hockers. She attended St. Matthew Grade School and St. Joseph Academy in Green Bay.
In 1953, she joined the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross and was officially received a year later. It was through the example of the Sisters in grade school and her great-aunt, Sister Delphina, that attracted her to religious life.
She taught for a total of 25 years at Goodman, Howard, Denmark, Darboy, Bear Creek, Green Bay, Dyckesville and Mishicot. During these years, Sister Charlene earned her bachelor's degree in education from St. Norbert College and a master's degree in theology from St. Xavier College in Chicago. She also holds a master's degree in pastoral ministries from St. Mary, Winona.
Sister Charlene moved into religious education ministry in 1981. She served in Peshtigo for three years, three parishes in the Gillett area for eight years, then at St. Nicholas in Freedom for ten years. In 2004, she added care ministry to her religious education responsibilities while serving at St. Mary and St. Francis, De Pere. She retired in 2010 to care for her mother, who died at 103 in September 2011.
In May 2012, she moved to St Francis Convent. In retirement, Sister Charlene especially appreciates time for prayer, reading, exercising and caring for her Sisters each day. She also volunteers at St. Vincent Hospital and attends Learning in Retirement classes at UW-Green Bay. Sister Charlene believes she can proclaim the presence of God to others by being friendly and cheerful to those she meets each day as well as being flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of others.
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