Sister Patricia “Pat” Frueh SL, known for her unwavering commitment to education and healthcare, passed away on November 15, 2025, at the Loretto Living Center in Nerinx, Kentucky. She was 92 years old and had dedicated 73 years to the Sisters of Loretto.
Born on May 5, 1933, in Afton to Ethyl (Heine) and John Frueh, Sister Pat entered the Sisters of Loretto on April 25, 1953. Over the decades, she made significant contributions to various communities across the United States, including Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and New Mexico.
Her educational journey began at Webster College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1957. She later obtained a master’s degree in teaching religious education in 1969 and completed an associate’s degree in nursing from Arapahoe Community College in 1987, becoming a registered nurse.
Sister Pat’s teaching career included positions at several schools. In Missouri, she taught at St. Cronan School in St. Louis from 1957 to 1958 and served as primary coordinator at St. Ferdinand in Florissant from 1958 to 1964. She continued to teach at various schools, including St. Ann in Normandy and Immaculate Conception in Maplewood, before coordinating religious education at Our Lady of the Americas School in Kansas City from 1978 to 1979.
In Kentucky, Sister Pat taught at St. Jerome School in Fairdale from 1966 to 1969 and coordinated religious education at St. Bernard in Louisville from 1979 to 1982. Her work in Iowa included teaching at Creston Catholic Community School from 1975 to 1978, and in New Mexico, she taught at St. Francis School in Santa Fe from 1983 to 1986.
After her teaching career, Sister Pat transitioned into nursing. She served at the Loretto Motherhouse Infirmary in Nerinx from 1987 to 1992 before working with Care Tenders in Elizabethtown from 1993 to 1994. She contributed to Lincoln Trail Home Health and Washington County Health Services in Springfield and Lebanon from 1994 to 1998.
Sister Pat continued her commitment to health and community service, becoming a community health nurse and hospice worker in eastern Kentucky until 2000. She then joined the Loretto Motherhouse Ministry and Health Ministry, serving until 2002. Her later years saw her tending to gardens and assisting as a part-time nurse at the Loretto Center in Webster Groves until 2013.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Sister Pat was noted for her kindness and the joy she brought to others. Her hobbies included gardening, cooking, and practicing “healing touch” massage. She also served as a eucharistic minister in the Loretto Infirmary, further exemplifying her commitment to service.
In reflecting on her life, Sister Pat expressed gratitude for her vocation, stating, “Overall, I am blessed to have a religious vocation and have enjoyed my ministries. I thank all who were instrumental in my becoming a Sister of Loretto.”
She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother John (Jack) E. Frueh, and sisters Claudine T. Moore and Margaret A. Shepherd. She is survived by her brothers, William D. (Denise) Frueh of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Charles F. (Martha) Frueh of Fort Smith, Arkansas, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
A wake for Sister Pat took place on November 23, followed by a funeral Mass celebrated by the Rev. Terry Bradshaw on November 24, both held at the Loretto Motherhouse. She was laid to rest in Our Lady of Sorrows Cemetery on the Motherhouse grounds.
For those wishing to honor her legacy, memorials may be made to the Sisters of Loretto for their mission, directed to Loretto Motherhouse, 515 Nerinx Road, Nerinx, KY 40049, or online at www.lorettocommunity.org.
