On a bright October morning, several Sisters gathered in the cemetery at Nazareth to welcome Frances “Frannie” Kercheval Groom to her final resting place.
Frannie, who died Sept. 27, 2026, at age 95, had once been a Sister of Charity of Nazareth. Although she left the Congregation in 1974, her relationship with Nazareth continued for the rest of her life. She remained a donor, became a member of the SCN Legacy Society and ultimately chose to be buried among the Sisters at Nazareth.
As the Sisters waited for her burial on Oct. 6, memories quickly surfaced.
“Franny was unique in all the world,” Sister Marlene Lehmkuhl recalled during the prayer service.
Those who had lived with her remembered a woman with a deep affection for animals and the outdoors. She grew up around farm animals and carried that love into adulthood. Her obituary noted her affection for goats, Jersey cows, chickens, dogs and cats, as well as her involvement with 4-H and the Humane Society.
The Sisters told about a jacket Frannie had worn as a young woman. On the back were the words, “Frannie Groom, Hampshire Hogs,” a reference to the breed of pigs connected to her farm life and a detail that seemed to capture something of her character.
She brought that same connection to the land to her ministry. While living with Sisters during the 1950s, Frannie cared for a large garden and wore sturdy farm shoes for the work.
Frannie entered the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in the early 1950s and spent more than two decades in the Congregation. She taught fourth grade at St. Agatha School in Upper Arlington, Ohio, and served in other ministries during her years as a Sister. Those who lived with her remembered her as easy to live with, interested in current events and proud of her hometown of Circleville, Ohio, especially its famous Pumpkin Show.
After leaving the Congregation, Frannie continued her life and work in Ohio. Yet Nazareth remained part of her story. She returned for gatherings with former classmates and maintained relationships with Sisters. During one of those visits, she spoke about the significance of her years in community and shared that prayer remained part of her daily life. Her support of the Sisters as a donor and Legacy Society member offered another sign of that lasting bond.
At her grave, surrounded by the nature that meant so much to Frannie, the Sisters prayed, “Life giving God, we place Frances Groom now in your loving care.”
The prayer called upon the beauty of creation surrounding the cemetery and remembered all those buried there. Sisters extended their hands in blessing over Frannie’s body and grave before she was laid to rest.
It was a quiet homecoming for someone whose life had taken her beyond Nazareth.
The SCN Legacy Society gratefully recognizes those who remember the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in their estate plans. These planned gifts, of any size, help extend the SCN mission for generations to come, supporting ministries with people who are marginalized and affected by poverty and injustice. Legacy Society members may include SCN in a will, life insurance policy, charitable trust, or through gifts of stocks, securities, or real estate. Members are remembered annually at a Mass at St. Vincent Church at Nazareth.