A Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Sept. 7 at Immaculate Conception Convent in West Peoria for Sister Cecilia Mattingly, OSF, a former teacher and librarian at several schools in the Diocese of Peoria who served in childcare following her retirement.

Sister Cecilia died on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, at OSF Richard Owens Hospice Home in Peoria. She was 96.

Father William Miller was principal celebrant of the funeral Mass. Burial was in St. Mary Cemetery, West Peoria.

Born in Sparland to Hubert and Susan (Buckler) Mattingly, she entered the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception on Sept. 7, 1944, and was in her 76th year of religious profession. She earned a bachelor of arts degree from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, and a master of arts degree from Rosary College in River Forest.

Sister Cecilia began her ministry in 1947. She was a teacher at schools in Moline, Spring Valley, Pekin, and Peoria. She also served as a librarian in several schools in Peoria.

After retiring from full-time teaching, Sister Cecilia spent 24 years in childcare as a nanny. After this second retirement, she served at the motherhouse in community service and visited homebound residents in the Peoria area.

In addition to the Franciscan Sisters with whom she shared her life, Sister Cecilia is survived by one sister, Mary Russel,l and one brother, James (Mary Jane) Mattingly, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by siblings Virginia Lopeman, Agnes Laible Boers, Angela Hank, Susan Mooberry, Pauline McAllister, Patricia Hess, Hubert Mattingly, and J. Leon Mattingly. Sister Cecilia was also preceded in death by her stepmother and four step-siblings.

Memorials may be made to the Retirement Fund of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception.