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VALLEY CITY, N.D. — Sister Irene Marie Stroh, SMP, 86, of Valley City, N.D., died Thursday April 2, 2009, at Maryvale Convent near Valley City.

She was born Oct. 18, 1922, on a farm south of Eckelson, N.D., to Eugene and Irene (Hogan) Stroh.

All of her elementary school years were at Island Lake School, a one-room country school. She attended high school at St. Catherine’s High School in Valley City, N.D. Sister Irene received a two-year Normal Degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and her BA degree in elementary education from The College of Great Falls, Montana.

Sister Irene professed her vows as a Sister of Mary of The Presentation on Aug. 26, 1943, at the St. Margaret’s Chapel in Spring Valley. She began her teaching career in the primary grades and taught catholic schools in Wild Rice, Oakes, Walhalla, Harvey, Oakwood and Valley City, all in North Dakota, and Washington, Ill.

Sister Irene concluded her teaching career in 1993 and retired at Maryvale Convent.

She is survived by her religious community, The Sisters of Mary of The Presentation, and one sister-in-law, Kathryn Stroh of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Monday in the Maryvale Chapel near Valley City with the Rev. Claude Seeberger, OSB, as celebrant. A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at The Maryvale Chapel. Interment will be in Maryvale Cemetery near Valley City later in the spring.

Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. Sunday in The Maryvale Chapel.

Funeral arrangements are handled by the Lerud-Johnson-Schuldt Funeral Home of Valley City, North Dakota.

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Sister Rolande Gamache, 93, died on April 7, 2009 at Maryvale Convent in Valley City, ND.

Sister Rolande was born on December 29, 1915 in Olga, North Dakota to Arthur and Hermedianne (Beauchamp) Gamache.   She attended grade school in Olga, ND.   She professed her vows as a Sister of Mary of the Presentation on February 9, 1935, in Broons, France.   She left the community in 1968 and reentered the community in 1997.  She professed her vows again on March 6, 1999.  Most of her years in Religious Community were spent as a cook for the Sisters, namely, in Oakwood, Valley City, Willow City, Oakes, Bottineau, Rolla, and Spring Valley, IL.  She also worked as a cook at the hospital in Harvey.   She retired at Maryvale in 1999.  Sister Rolande  is survived by her Religious Community, the Sisters of Mary of the Presentation, three brothers; Isadore of Grand Forks, Leonard of Spokane, WA, and Edward (Pat) of Maple Lake, MN and two sisters; Helen Davidson and Marilyn Carl both of Grand Forks, ND.

The funeral for Sister Rolande will be on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 10:30 am in the Maryvale Convent Chapel.  Visitation will be from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 with a prayer service beginning at 7:00 pm in the Maryvale Chapel.

**** Sister Rolande's funeral has been postponed due to all the flooding in Valley City and at Maryvale.