Sister Profile

Sister Barbara Ann Zeller

Formerly Sister Dorothy Jean

Sister Barbara Ann was born on August 18, 1945 and died on August 1, 2019.

Biography

Sister Barbara Ann, formerly Sister Dorothy Jean, entered the Congregation on September 12, 1963. Her most recent ministry was as the President and CEO of Providence Self Sufficiency Ministries, Inc., located in Georgetown, Indiana.

Sister Barbara Ann was born in Evansville, Indiana. She attended Providence Aspirancy at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. She professed first vows in 1966 and final vows in 1974.

Sister Barbara Ann graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in education. She also earned a master’s degree in studies in aging from North Texas State University.

She ministered as a teacher at Precious Blood in Jasper, Ind., in 1968, but came back to the Woods in 1971 to minister as the Community Director of Retirement.

She also ministered as the Congregation’s Director of Gerontology before becoming the Executive Director of Maryvale in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

In 1982, she helped create Providence Retirement Home in New Albany, serving as the organization’s administrator and CEO. She became the Director of Providence Self Sufficiency Ministries in 1995 and ministered as the organization’s president and CEO from 2006 to 2019.

Sister Barbara Ann passed away on August 1, 2019. She was 73 years old and had been a Sister of Providence for 55 years.

Obituary

Read her obituary here.

Read more

Sister Barbara Ann is featured in the following content on the Sisters of Providence website:

Photographs

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Sister Barbara Ann Zeller, Sister Maria Smith and Sister Joanne Cullins.
Providence Self-Sufficiency Ministries CEO, Sister Barbara Ann Zeller (right) and PSSM property manager/director of facilities maintenance Cindy Richards.
Sister Josephine Bryan and Barbara Ann Zeller participate in the opening procession.
Sister Patricia McGlynn, Sister Barbara Ann Zeller, Sister Janet Ostrowski
Sisters of Providence and Providence Associates gathered in June for a Louisville Area Circle. The Circle was hosted by the SPs at Providence Self-Sufficiency Ministries in Georgetown, Ind. Pictured (front row from left) Sheila Galvin, Joan Frisz, and Sister Eileen Bonner; (middle row) Sister Joanne Cullins, Sister Rose Virginia Eichman, Sister Brigid Bonner; (back row) Sister Nancy Reynolds, Tom O’Toole, Margo O’Toole, Sister Maria Smith and Sister Barbara Ann Zeller. Present but not pictured – Maria Price.