Sister Bertha was born in Van Buren, Maine on Sept. 7, 1933, to Joseph Cormier and Leona Cyr Cormier. Sister was the 12th child in a family of 13 children. She received her elementary education at Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel School in Lille, Maine and at Lincoln School in Grand Isle. She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Van Buren, Maine.
On Sept. 5, 1953, Sister Bertha entered the Congregation of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Bay View, Saco, Maine. She studied one year at the Good Shepherd Scholasticate in Quebec. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from St. Joseph College, North Windham, Maine. For 20 years, she taught elementary classes in the parochial schools of Biddeford, Maine, Lawrence, Massachusetts and Donaldson, Tennessee. She also taught in the public schools of Van Buren and Grand Isle in Northern Maine.
When she retired from teaching, she became school librarian and community bookkeeper. She also served as hostess at Bay View Villa where her friendly reception of guests was greatly appreciated. In 2008, Sister Bertha was assigned to St. Joseph Convent in Biddeford.
She is survived by one sister, Lucille Parent of Lille, Maine and many nieces and nephews.
The visiting hours will be at St. Joseph Convent, 409 Pool St. on Wednesday, April 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursday April 5 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Joseph Convent on Thursday, April 5 at 11 a.m. The burial will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Biddeford, Maine.
Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel.
To share condolences online, please visit www.HopeMemorial.com.
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