Sister Alexia Walters, O.S.B.

Sister Alexia Walters, known to many as the “Puppet Nun’, died yesterday at Epworth Springs Camp, near Lewistown, where she had gone to present puppet shows to youths attending the Methodist Church Camp.

She taught at St. Boniface Elementary School, Peoria, from 1925-1929.

She entered the Benedictine Community, in Nauvoo, Sept. 3, 1918, and made her final profession of vows Aug. 26, 1924.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, she was an art instructor 22 years.  She taught at Alleman High School in Rock Island 17 years and at St. Mary’s Academy, in Nauvoo five years.

In her earlier years, she taught in elementary schools at Champaign, Arlington, Nauvoo, Clinton, Wenona and Peoria.

She received her bachelor’s from St. Ambrose College, Davenport, Iowa, and her master’s from the University of Illinois.  She also studied at the Chicago Art Institute.

While at Alleman High School, she conducted a weekly art show over WHBF-TV for 1½ years and also conducted workshops for area teachers.  For several summer she conducted an art appreciation course for seminarians studying at St. Bede’s College in Peru.

In 1965, during the time of the Mississippi flood disaster, she visited flood shelters in East Moline and Moline entertaining the families with her puppets.

A wake service will be conducted at 4:30 p.m. today in St. Mary’s Priory at Nauvoo with a funeral Mass there at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.  The Rev. John O’Connor of El Paso will officiate.