Sister Marie Philip Meehan

Sister Marie Philip Meehan, 89, a member of the Sisters of the Presentation, Fargo, died Tuesday, August 26, 2003, in the infirmary at Sacred Heart Convent. Sister Marie Philip (Florence) was born December 31, 1913, in Fargo, ND, the oldest of nine children born to Eugene A. Meehan and Mary Polum Meehan. She attended grade school at Sacred Heart Academy until the opening of St. Anthony?s School in south Fargo. She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy High School in 1931. Florence went to Moorhead State College for two years and began a year of teaching. The opportunity to take a position at the Fargo Public Library lured her from teaching. She held the position of librarian there until December 1943, when she entered the Order of the Sisters of the Presentation in Fargo. She took the name ?Sister Marie Philip,? taking as her patron St. Philip Neri. She made her final profession of vows in 1949. Sister celebrated the Golden Jubilee of her Profession in 1996. Sister Marie Philip received a B.S. Degree from North Dakota State University and a Master in Library Science from the University of Minnesota. She was appointed librarian at Sacred Heart Academy which became Shanley High School, a position she held for 42 years until her retirement in 1985. During those years Sister also spent hours building and maintaining libraries in the Fargo elementary parochial schools. Sister Marie Philip organized the library and served as librarian for 10 years at Riverview Place where she also worked as receptionist and where she organized and worked with the Riverview Auxiliary. She also served as librarian at Sacred Heart Convent until the time of her death. Sister held the office of Council member in the Presentation Order for three years and was the community Bursar for six years in addition to her library duties. She served at different times as Board member for St. Ansgar?s Hospital in Park River, Carrington Hospital, and City Hospital in New Rockford. She served for 15 years on the Board of Friendship Village where her love for the mentally challenged led her to spend one evening a week teaching Bible Study to the Mentally Handicapped Adults. Sister Marie Philip is survived by the members of her religious community; her sisters, Eva (Mrs. Orville Banasik), Fargo, and Mary (Mrs. Mary Smelser), California; and a brother, Eugene, Fargo. She was preceded in death by her father, her mother, sisters Margaret, Rita and Rose, and brothers, Francis and James. The prayer vigil will be Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Convent. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Riverview Place. Visitation will be one hour prior to the Funeral Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Presentation Sisters Foundation. Arrangements by Boulger Funeral Home, Fargo. Online guestbook at www.boulgerfuneralhome.com.