By Nicole Hamilton
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sister of Charity of Cincinnati's Sister Celine Marie Berndsen, who spent 45 years as an educator, died January 30 at Mother Margaret Hall Nursing Home in Delhi Township. She was 98.

"Sister Celine Marie was a very dynamic person and everything she said was very definite," said Sister Eleanor Marie Salm, who entered the congregation the same time as Sister Celine Marie - in 1926.

Born in Cincinnati, Sister Celine Marie began teaching after entering the Congregation. Over the course of 45 years she served as either a teacher or principal in schools in Ohio, Illinois and Michigan.

In Cincinnati, she taught at St. Joseph Orphanage, St. Elizabeth in Norwood, and St. Lawrence in Price Hill.

During her years as a teacher, she also attended the Athenaeum of Ohio, from where she earned a bachelor's degree in education. She also received a bachelor's degree in English from the College of Mount St. Joseph.

For five years, beginning in 1971, Sister Celine Marie was information clerk and a pastoral visitor at St. Joseph Hospital in Mount Clemens, Mich.

She returned to education, in 1976, and worked as a tutor in Cleveland and later as a substitute teacher in Royal Oak, Mich.

Sister Celine Marie retired from teaching in 1989 and - that year - returned to Cincinnati.

As a resident of the Sisters of Charity's Motherhouse, she worked as a seamstress and made arts and crafts for their fairs.

She was preceded in death by three sisters: Clarissa Katzbauer, Mary Gill, and Bette Berndsen.

Services have been held.

Burial was in the Motherhouse cemetery, Delhi Township.

Memorials: Sisters of Charity Retirement Fund, 5900 Delhi Rd., Cincinnati, 45051.