To The Crookston Times readers,

It is with regret that CherryRoad Media announces the closing of The Crookston Times

Our company is dedicated to the preservation of community journalism. Since the purchase of our 1st paper in late-2020 to today, we have prided ourselves on our ability to fight the difficult battle that newspapers face in today’s digital society. Unfortunately, that battle cannot always be won.

The Crookston Times has struggled in recent years to find its footing in this community. Since purchasing The Crookston Times, CherryRoad Media has been unable to avoid financial losses every month. The paper was losing money when we bought it, and it continued to do so. We must now come to terms with the fact that we do not have a path forward to sustainability.

And we thank those who have supported us.

Sister Francella Gust

 

 Sister Francella Gust, 90, died on February 2, 2023, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.
 Sister Francella was born at home on October 10, 1932, in Tabor, the tenth of 11 children of John Jacob Gust and Frances Ann (Kotrba) Gust. At baptism she was given the name Frances.
 The Gust family were members of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Tabor. Sister Francella became acquainted with the Benedictine sisters when they came to her parish to teach summer religious education classes.
 Frances attended District 64 country grade school. No matter the season, she and her siblings often walked the two and a half miles to school. For high school, Frances attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy in Crookston.
 During her senior year, she entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. She received the Benedictine habit and the name of Sister Francella on July 10, 1950, pronounced temporary vows on July 11, 1951, and made her final monastic profession on July 11, 1954.
 Sister Francella graduated from the St. Cloud School of Nursing in 1959. Over a period of 31 years, she successfully served as a staff nurse or as a nursing supervisor at Saint Francis Hospital in Crookston, St. Mary’s Hospital in Detroit Lakes and Villa Saint Vincent. She then pursued training in clinical pastoral education from Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, N.D., and served in pastoral care at Villa Saint Vincent in Crookston for 33 years until her retirement in 2016.
 Sister Francella said she found celebration of feasts and the companionship of the sisters to be particularly life-giving. She leant her good soprano voice and full heart to liturgical prayer. She enjoyed small group living where, she said, she found the freedom to express and to receive love and concern.
 In her retirement, Sister Fran liked watching good movies and plying various crafts – especially crocheting, decoupaging, and embroidering.
 Sister Francella is preceded in death by her parents, John Jacob Gust and Frances Ann (Kotrba) Gust, her brothers Frank, Rudolph, Paul, Louis, Anthony, Eugene, Richard, Gerard, and her sister, Alice (Gust) Canterbury.
 Surviving her are her brother Edward, many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.
 A prayer service celebrating Sister Francella’s life will be held on Wednesday, February 8 at 11 a.m. and the Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. Both services will be held at Sacred Heart Chapel of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
 The Mass will be live-recorded for later viewing on www.stenshoelhouske.com.
 Gifts in honor of Sister Francella Gust may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, MN 56716.

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