Franciscan Sister Receives American Agri-Women’s Veritas Award

AMERICAN AGRI-WOMEN PRESS RELEASE, OCTOBER 23, 1999
Franciscan Sister Receives American Agri-Women’s Veritas Award
MOKENA, IL.: She’s referred to as “inspirational”, humorous” and visionary”, but may be best known as “Agriculture’s Hell-Raising Nun”.
Sister Thomas More Bertels, retired history professor at Silver Lake College, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, will be awarded the Veritas Award at the 25th annual meeting of American Agri-Women (AAW) in Green Bay, November 7. In a unique circumstance, Sister Thomas More, who was one of the organization’s founders, will receive an award that usually goes to “friends” of agriculture who know little or nothing about AAW.
“For her tireless research, speaking engagements, and writings over the years, Sister Thomas More Bertels exemplified the best of the truth seekers,” reads the award plaque, “inserting humor, history and heroics in to her work”. For 50 years this Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity has studied farm organizations and their reluctance to work together. Bucking the status quo, even in her own church, Sister preached that farmers need to build a powerbase to better shape their future. She entreated farm groups to work together and support one another.
Recognizing the potential of traditional farm organizations, but also noticing their territorialism, lack of power and, sometimes, envious nature, she wrote a book, “In Pursuit of Agri-Power: The One Thing American Farmers and Ranchers Can’t Produce”.
As a teacher, speaker, author, and active participant in farm organizations nationwide, Sister served as a role model to many farm women. AAW’s president in 1989, Mitzi Perdue, Salisbury, Maryland, stated, “She strengthened our backbones and made the rest of us want to be brave and do the right thing. She never had a daughter, but she had dozens of little Sister Thomas Mores who wanted to be like her.”
According to former AAW president, Trenna Grabowski from DuBois, Illinois, “Sister may well have been the first great Renaissance Woman of Agriculture”.
The Veritas Award is presented annually by American Agri-Women (AAW) to the person or persons who have given public witness to “the pursuit of truth” as it pertains to agriculture. For information regarding the Veritas Award or AAW, contact: President Carol Ann Gregg, 147 Old Mill, Grove City, PA 16127; (724)458-6108; Farmwrite@pathway.net; americanagriwomen.com
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