March 14, 1937 - July 16, 2021

Sister Ramona (Vera) Medina died July 16, 2021 at Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia, Kansas. She was 84 years old and a religious sister for 66 years. She was born in rural La Jara, Colorado to Juan and Celina (Romero) Medina, the thirteenth of thirteen children. She entered the Atchison Benedictine Order in 1955, then transferred to the Sisters of St. Joseph, Concordia, Kansas, in 1980.

Sister Ramona received a B.S. in education in 1970 from Mt. St. Scholastica College Atchison Kansas and in 1983 she received a B.S. in occupational therapy from the University of Kansas. Sister Ramona worked as an occupational therapist in Shawnee Mission, Kansas City, Onaga, Ellsworth and McPherson, Kansas and in Lakeland, Florida. In 1988 Sister Ramona applied for a copyright for her creation of seven dolls and two puppets for working with adults with physical limitations. In 1995 she established an occupational therapy department at Memorial Hospital in McPherson.

Sister Ramona was elected to the Leadership Council of her congregation in 1999 and served for eight years as a regional coordinator. In 2009 she co-founded the Neighbor to Neighbor ministry for women and children in Concordia, Kansas.

Sister Ramona was also an artist. Her paintings are of detail and beauty. She was an excellent instructor of painting and taught women at Neighbor to Neighbor to paint.

Sister Ramona also excelled in Bobbin Lace-Making. This was an original craft of the first congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the 17th century in France and now blossoms again in Concordia, Kansas. Sister Ramona created many intricate and beautiful works of lace and was also an instructor of lace-making. Her Bobbin Lace-Making skill is on display on the campus at Saint Teresa Academy where the curved outer wall of the chapel of St. Joseph is covered with aluminum lace inspired by Sister Ramona.

Sister Ramona Medina was preceded in death by her parents three brothers (Adelmo, Tiofilo, and Gilbert Medina) and six sisters (Marie Medina, Sr. Lucia Medina, Sr. Dora Medina, Sr. Aurea Medina, Sr. Joseph Mary Medina, and Celina McFarlan). She is survived by two sisters (Sr. Celinda Medina of Atchison, KS and Sr. Rebecca Medina of Framingham MA) and one brother (Dr. Luis Medina of

Alamosa, CO). She is also survived by her best friend and cousin, Sister Emily Brito of Bosque Farms, New Mexico and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins.