Litchfield Museum Features Hospital History

Elisa Feldmann (left), member of the Board of Directors for HSHS St. Francis Hospital and a former manager who served for over 40 years at the hospital, and Anne Jackson, Litchfield Museum Board Secretary, at the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center, highlight the museum’s newest display showcasing the 150 years of care the hospital has provided to the community. 

In 2025, St. Francis Hospital is celebrating its 150th anniversary of its founding. In 1875, at the request of Bishop Peter Baltes, Diocese of Alton, Illinois, 20 Hospital Sisters of St. Francis left Muenster, Germany, and arrived in Alton on November 6, 1875, to bring health care services throughout the Diocese. Sister Fridolina Pieper, OSF (Superior), Sister Augustina Quartmann, OSF, and Sister Rosa Walzer, OSF, then traveled further and arrived in Litchfield on November 13, 1875, and went to work delivering care to all who needed it.

“The Mission and mindset of our founding Hospital Sisters is now in the hands of all of our caring colleagues at St. Francis,” said Paula Endress, Philanthropy Manager for the hospital. “We are excited and honored that the Litchfield Museum has chosen to shine a light on our 150 years of service to this community. So many hands have carried the torch of the Sisters and still do each and every day within our walls. I encourage the public to visit and see the special display.”