3 minute read
Planned Giving: Ursuline Associate Relationships Led to Legacy Gift
from DOME Summer 2021
by ursulineslou
Born in Eldridge, North Dakota, Irene Boelke attended school there until her parents moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1939, when she was twelve. She attended St. Leo the Great elementary school and Ursuline Academy, from which she graduated in 1946. She married Jake Link a year after she graduated, and together they had five children.
Years later, Irene and her daughter, Karen enrolled in nursing school and became licensed practical nurses. Jake passed away in 1975. Irene taught courses in the practical nursing curriculum at the former Louisville Vocational Technical Institute.
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A shared interest in square dancing brought recently widowed Irene and recently widowed John Mueller together. In 1976, they sashayed into a happy union. Thus, Irene added four stepchildren, including Sister Marilyn Mueller to her blended family circle.
For John and Irene, square dancing, volunteering, and family camping trips filled their days. Active and adventurous, they were searching for ways to enrich their spirituality when they spotted an ad in the Louisville Catholic newspaper, The Record, about the Ursuline Associate Call program, “Come & See.” They came, saw, and joined. In 1987, they became Ursuline Associates who engage in prayer, mutual support and service to others as lay people guided by the charism of St. Angela Merici and the Ursulines. Their enthusiasm attracted family members, and soon, being an Associate became a “family affair.”
Throughout the years, Irene and John donated to many Ursuline appeals and ministries, including: the chapel renovation and restoration projects; relocation of the Ursuline Academy entrance arch from downtown to the Motherhouse grounds; the congregation’s greatest needs; the operation of the former nursing facility, Marian Home; the Peru Mission, and the purchase of a handicap accessible van for the Sisters.
An Associate for ten years, John passed away in 1997. Widowed for the second time, Irene kept busy with her family, friends, volunteer work and participation in Associate programs, liturgies, lunches, reflection groups and projects. At the time of her passing, in February 2021, she had been an Associate for thirty-four years. Grateful for the family’s Ursuline connections and her own education, Irene remembered both the Sisters and the Associates in a planned gift for future needs.
1. 1946 class composite from Ursuline Academy, Louisville 2. High school photo, Ursuline Academy, Louisville 3. Wedding photo with Jake Link, 1947 4. Square dancing, a favorite hobby with Jake Link 5. American Red Cross Volunteer of the Year award 6. Seated (L to R): Sister Marilyn Mueller and Irene Link Mueller
Standing (L to R): Karen Link Harris, Denise Link Corey,
Grover Corey and Terese Link Bennett, 2013
What’s in Your Will?
If you have included the Ursuline Sisters, or are considering will inclusion in your planned giving, please make sure this information is on your legal documents:
Corporate Name:
Ursuline Society and Academy of Education
Mailing Address:
3115 Lexington Road Louisville, KY 40206
Questions? Contact:
Recognition of Our Communications for Our Mission and Ministries
From Kathy Williams, Communications Director:
Associated Church Press Awards
We received two Awards of Excellence for the redesign of the AMC website and for our Facebook statement on the grand jury announcement on Sept. 23, 2020, in the Breonna Taylor case.
Religion Communicators Council DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards
We received a Category Winner award with our video series, Walking in Love. We also received an Award of Merit for our blog post, The Great Women’s March.
