Life of Eva Geeck, Sister Maria Alodia The youngest child in the family of Johannes Adam Geeck and Catharina Agatha Brod was Maria Eva, known as Eva. She was born 16 January 1849 in Rheinzabern. When the Geeck family arrived in New Orleans on 29 December 1854, she was not quite six years old.
Within a year, both of her parents died, leaving Eva an orphan. She was apparently placed in the St. Joseph German Orphan Asylum, as perhaps were her older siblings, twins Stephan and Elisabetha. This Catholic institution was for girls and boys and was located on Laurel Street between Josephine and St. Andrew Streets. St. Joseph German Orphan Asylum, ca 1856 Courtesy of the School Sisters of Notre Dame
The St. Joseph German Orphan Asylum was associated with the nearby German Catholic church, St. Mary's Assumption. As early as 1856, the orphanage and the associated school were administered by the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
	At the time of the 1860 census, Eva was listed with many other children at what was identified as the “Orphan A.[Asylum] for destitute children, Boys & Girls - Catholic.” She was listed as “Eva Geck,” age 12, from Bavaria. An image of the complete page is here.
On Sunday, 31 December 1865, Eva was the sponsor for the baptism of her niece, Eva Marie Geeck, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. There are no records that indicate where Eva lived in New Orleans after leaving the orphanage, but perhaps it was with one of her siblings. On 1 May 1869, at the age of 20, Eva entered the Catholic teaching order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
	In preparation for her new life, she was sent to the Motherhouse of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, then located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There, on 29 July 1870, she was included in the federal census, listed as “Eva Geck,” age 18, “candidate.” An image of the complete page is here.
While at the Convent, she was "received" as a novice on 22 August 1871 and was given the religious name of Sister Maria Alodia. On 28 August 1873 she was “professed,” taking the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience according to the rule of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Sometime after 1873, Sister Maria Alodia Geeck (her name was usually misspelled “Geck”) returned to New Orleans and taught at St. Mary’s Assumption School. Later, she was assigned to St. Alphonsus School in Baltimore, Maryland. While there, she took ill and was sent to the motherhouse in nearby Govanstown. Their records described her last days:      August 26, 1879 - Sister M. Alodia, who suffers from Catarrh and Consumption, was sent to us from St. Alphonsus, Baltimore.      June 28, 1880 - Sister Alodia received the Last Sacraments. Sister Alodia was suffering from lung trouble, and was losing her sight and hearing.      August 9, 1880 - Our dear Sister M. Alodia died. Sister was a consumptive and this caused her much suffering.      August 11, 1880 - Sister’s burial took place.
Eva Geeck, Sister Maria Alodia, was buried in the St. Alphonsus Cemetery on East Eager Street in Baltimore, several blocks east of St. James Church and the original Motherhouse on Aisquith Street. In October 1917, the cemetery was sold, and the remains of all those buried there were moved to a common grave in the cemetery owned by the School Sisters of Notre Dame at 1163 Glen Arm Road in Glen Arm, Maryland. A memorial stone includes the name: M. Alodia Geck, 1880. A larger image of this photograph can be found here. Sister Maria Alodia was 31½ years old when she died.
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