Sister Alacoque Geppert

Biography:

Sister Alacoque attended Notre Dame Junior College, Mitchell, SD; Northern State Teachers College, Aberdeen, SD; and St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, where she earned a bachelor's degree in physical therapy becoming the first registered physical therapist in the state of South Dakota.

When a polio epidemic broke out in 1946, Sister became director of the (Avera) St. Luke's therapy department. For over 40 years, Sister Alacoque worked with patients who suffering from polio, cerebral palsy and joint replacements. She was a charter member of the South Dakota American Physical Therapy Association and was editor of the organization's first newsletter.

After retiring from physical therapy, Sister Alacoque attended the Credo Program, which brought priests and vowed women religious from across the world for sabbatical studies, at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. She went on to serve as convent administrator and was the sacristan at (Avera) St. Luke's prior to retiring to full time prayer ministry.

She was named First Lady of Aberdeen in 1967 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the South Dakota chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association in 1992.

1942 - Summer School, Bryant & Willow Lake, SD - High School Teacher
1943 - Presentation Children’s Home, Sioux Falls, SD - Little Boys Dormitory Supervisor
1942-1944 - Notre Dame, Mitchell, SD - Fifth Grade
1944 - St. Mary, Reliance, SD - First Communion/Summer School Teacher
1945-1986 - (Avera) St. Luke’s Hospital, Aberdeen, SD - Physical Therapist and Physical Therapy Department Head
1987-1990 - Presentation Convent, Aberdeen, SD - Local Director
1990-2001 - (Avera) St. Luke’s Hospital, Aberdeen, SD - Sacristan and Eucharistic Minister
2001-2015 - Presentation Convent, Aberdeen, SD - Full-time Prayer Ministry