Sister Lauren Weinandt, Mayo Clinic's longest-serving staff member, died in July. She insisted that the gazebo, a 100th birthday gift from Mayo, be dedicated to the staff.
A native of Brewster, Minnesota, Weinandt joined the Sisters of Saint Francis in 1954, living and working at Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys for 67 years.
For years, I had wanted to meet one of Rochester's wisest and most highly respected residents, Sister Generose Gervais, the Franciscan sister and former Saint Marys Hospital administrator for whom Mayo's Generose mental health building is named.