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Sister Florentia Riebel, ASC, died the morning of December 1, 2022, at 7:40 after a brief illness. She was 106 years old and lived 88 of her years as a professed Adorer of the Blood of Christ.
Sr. Florentia began nurse's training in Enid, OK. Ten days after she graduated from St. Mary Hospital School of Nursing in 1941, she was appointed supervisor on the medical and surgical floor. Three years later, Sr. Florentia was assigned to the Municipal Hospital in Artesia, NM. Since it was a smaller, rural hospital, she supervised all the nursing units for two years. Soon after returning to St. Mary's Hospital, Sr. Florentia attended a three-week training in Leetsdale, PA, on care of polio patients. Later, she enrolled in the Physical Therapy School at the University of Chicago, graduating as a Physical Therapist in 1952.
She returned to St. Mary's Hospital to open the area's first physical therapy department to treat polio survivors. At one point during the polio epidemics of the late 1940's and early 50's, Sr. Florentia actually lived at the hospital with patients, mostly children, because of fear of contagion. In her notes, Sr. Florentia tracked that there were 149 polio victims admitted to St Mary's. She recalled with sadness attending 15 patients as they died.
Even after moving to the Wichita Center in 2009, Sr. Florentia continued to enjoy traveling and spending time with her extended family, especially their annual summer Reibel Reunion. Until COVID she was a competitive participant during card games, especially pitch.
Preceding Sr. Florentia in death were her parents, Clement and Anna; her brothers, Norbert, Paul, John, Victor, Melvin and Leon; her sisters, Sr. Leona, ASC, Sr. Barbara, ASC, Sr. Winifred, ASC, and Arlene Drake. Sr. Florentia is survived by her brother Wilbert (Mary Ann) and sister-in-law Norma (Melvin). Many nieces and nephews into second, third and fourth generations also survive, along with members of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ community.
Welcoming service for Sr. Florentia will be 2:00 p.m. and Wake Service will be 6:30 p.m., both on Monday December 5, 2022. Mass of Christian Burial will be 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, with Fr. Tom Welk as presider and homilist. All services will be held at the Chapel of the Woman of the New Covenant, Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Wichita Center, 1165 Southwest Blvd., Wichita, KS. Interment will follow at the Community Cemetery of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Wichita. A memorial fund has been established for the retirement of Sisters, ASC, 1165 Southwest Blvd., Wichita, KS 67213.
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