October 21, 2011

A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Florence Brotzge was celebrated Oct. 11 in the motherhouse chapel. Sister Florence, 98, died Oct. 8 at Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility for the congregation. She was a Sister of Charity for 79 years.

A native of Louisville, Sister Florence earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Mount St. Joseph and master’s degree in curriculum from  St. John’s Teachers College in Cleveland. She ministered in both elementary and secondary education, as well as in pastoral care, serving in Ohio, Illinois and Michigan. In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati she taught at Holy Family and St. Lawrence schools in Price Hill; the former St. Joseph, St. Bernard and St. Raphael schools in Springfield; the former St. Anthony School in Madisonville; Holy Angels School in Sidney; St. William in Price Hill; and the former Corpus Christi School in Dayton.

In 1970 Sister Florence began working in the pulmonary rehabilitation department at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati. She later began an 11-year ministry in pastoral care at the same hospital.

Sister Florence retired to the St. Joseph Retirement Center in Sharonville in 1984, where she volunteered and crocheted afghans for the boutique at St. Joseph Home to benefit the residents of the facility.

Interment was in the Sisters of Charity cemetery.