A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Mary Elko, D.C., was celebrated September 29, 2017, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md. Burial followed at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Emmitsburg. Sister Mary died September 22, 2017, at Villa St. Michael in Emmitsburg. She was 92 years of age and 73 years vocation as a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
Born in Chesterfield County, Va., on October 6, 1924, Sister Mary (baptized Elizabeth Mary) was one of seven children born to Michael J. and Mary (Hanzlik) Elko.
A 1942 graduate of St. Joseph High School in Petersburg, Va., Sister Mary entered the Community of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in October 1943. She earned both her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (1953) and her Master of Science Degree in Psychiatric Nursing (1958) from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Following initial formation, Sister Mary first served at St. Vincent’s Hospital for Women and Children, Philadelphia, Pa.,(1944 to 1949). Following a period of study, Sister served at St. Margaret Hospital, Dorchester, Mass., (1953 to 1954); Mount St. Vincent/Mount Hope Hospital in Baltimore, Md., (1954 to 1963); and St. Vincent/DePaul Hospital, Norfolk, Va., (1963 to 1965).
In 1965, Sister Mary joined the foreign missions in Bolivia where she nursed in various locations. In Bolivia, she became the Director of the AMANECER Program for homeless women and abused or abandoned children. Sister Mary served in Bolivia for 49 years. She returned to join the Ministry of Prayer in Emmitsburg in 2014. There, she served until the time of her death.
Sister Mary was preceded in death by her parents and her four brothers; she is survived by her sisters Rose Uzel and Alice Baroni; nieces, nephews; and her Sisters in Community.