Sr. Genarose Buechler, ASC

SISTER GENAROSE BUECHLER, ASC, 89, of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, died peacefully at 8:08 pm, Friday, August 29, 2025, at Memorial Hospital, Belleville, Illinois.

Sr. Genarose was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, one of seven children in the family of Eugene and Helen (nee Collins) Buechler. Her family attended Holy Angels Parish. She made her first profession on July 1, 1954, and her final vows on July 1, 1959. She had been professed for 71 years.

She received her bachelor’s degree in theology in 1970 and her master’s in theology education in 1975, both from St. Louis University.

An elementary teacher for almost 30 years, Sr. Genarose taught at the following schools in Illinois: St. Augustine in Belleville, Holy Family in Cahokia, St. Lawrence in Lawrenceville, Immaculate Conception in Centreville, St. Mary in Chester, St. Rose in Metropolis, St. Bruno in Pinckneyville, and St. John the Baptist in Red Bud. She taught in Missouri for more than 10 years, at St. Augustine in Kelso and at the Interparish School in Vienna. For several years, she also taught at Holy Rosary in Fort Dodge, IA.

Sr. Genarose directed the Religious Education Program at St. Bruno in Pinckneyville; she was a member of a team of educators responsible for religious education programs in more than eight parishes near Carbondale in southern Illinois. For 15 years, her ministry was based at St. Vincent (now Taylorville) Memorial Hospital in Taylorville, Illinois. She held a variety of positions, including admitting, medical records, hospitality, file clerk, and receptionist. During this time, she also volunteered to lead the children’s choir at St. Mary School and Parish in Taylorville. Sister Genarose was also active in Cursillo retreats in the Belleville Diocese.

During several of her years at the Ruma Center, she held the position of Liturgy Coordinator for the convent, planning liturgies for daily Mass and prayer services. She was a long-time supporter, promoter, and active connection between the ASC sisters and the ASC associates. Her joy was to continue serving as a local mentor for the prayer associates and keeping them in her own prayers.

Sr. Genarose maintained an attitude of gratitude in her daily life. She loved to make people smile. Her hobby was writing song prayers and singing them to popular tunes or familiar hymns. At times, her reply to a friend was to break into song. She also had a talent for remembering the verses to songs, so accurate that when a sister would need a word or phrase for the second, or even the third verse of a song, the familiar line was, “Let’s ask Genarose!”

Sr. Genarose is survived by her sister Anna Marie Sak, many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and the ASC Community.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Eugene (Margaret) Buechler, Jr., and Charles (JoAnn) Buechler; her sisters Margaret (Vincent) Eisele, Shirley (Lloyd) Owens, and Theresa (Roger) Goetten; and her brother-in-law Andrew Sak.

Funeral Mass:

  1:30 pm, Friday, September 5, 2025

  Benedictine Living Community Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows

  726 Community Drive, Belleville, Illinois

Visitation:

  Friday – 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

  Benedictine Living Community Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows

Interment:

  ASC Convent Cemetery

  Ruma, Illinois

Donations in memory of Sr. Genarose may be sent to the ASC Retirement Fund, 4233 Sulphur Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63109, or online at www.adorers.org “Support our Ministries”