Sister Amelia Wolking, 1922-2007
Born November 13, 1922, Covington, Kentucky
Entered St. Walburg Monastery, Covington, Kentucky September 24, 1939
Received habit, June 28, 1940.
First Profession June 30, 1941
Died January 9, 2007
Sr. Amelia was born in Covington, Kentucky on November 13, 1922 to Charles F. and Antoinette Mueller Wolking and given the name Ruth Cecilia at her baptism. Ruth was the third of six daughters who became members of St. Walburg Monastery-Sisters Mary Anne, Teresa, Charles, Mercedes and Consolata. Srs Mary Anne, Mercedes and Consolata preceded her in death. Ruth was a prep at Villa Madonna Academy until she became a postulant on September 24, 1939. Reception of the habit and a new name came to Sr. Amelia on June 28, 1940. She made her first monastic profession on June 30, 1941 and perpetual profession three years later in 1944. She celebrated jubilees in 1966, 1991 and 2001.
Although the whole of Sr. Amelia’s religious life was spent on the grounds of St. Walburg Monastery, her influence touched many. Between 1941 and 1943 she served as seamstress at the monastery. In 1944 she began her service as dorm mother to the youngest boarders at Villa Madonna, a position she held until 1979 when the boarding school closed. During those years and many beyond, Sr. Amelia supervised the VMA cafeteria.
Sr. Amelia continued to work in the dorms at VMA until she could no longer climb the stairs. She prepared the dorms for retreatants and visitors, did mending and housekeeping. She maintained the swimming pool for decades. In 1980 she moved to the monastery but continued lunchroom supervision.
Sr. Amelia formed close friendships through her work at Villa Madonna. In her youth she took walks with Margaret Hay Edwards. While part of the VMA staff, she enjoyed spending time with the cafeteria and housekeeping workers.
Sr. Amelia ran the monastery laundry in her “retirement years”. In later years she visited on Mondays with LaVerne Schewe, recently deceased laundry supervisor. Teachers and former boarders for whom she had cared came to visit as well. Sr. Amelia influenced many in her long years at Villa Madonna and St. Walburg.
The Benedictine community and her many friends will remember Sr. Amelia’s prayerfulness, simplicity and acceptance of sickness. On New Year’s Eve she exerted herself to attend the party for she enjoyed being with the sisters. The next day she went to the hospital for relief of lung congestion, but returned to the infirmary in a few days under hospice care. Death came peacefully on January 9, 2007 as the Christmas season came to an end. Ordinary Time began for us but not for Sister Amelia.