Sister Christine was born on October 20, 1917 of good, staunch Catholic parents, Margaret and George Trimberger on their beautiful 80 acre Spring Ridge Dairy Farm in the little town of Chilton, Wisconsin. Being the second youngest of the seven siblings, S. Christine, along with her younger sister, Sister Ann, were affectionately called “The Kids” by the rest of the family. In fact, their brother George referred to them by that name up to the time of his death a few years ago.

S. Christine received a solid Catholic grade-school education at St. Mary’s School in Chilton with the School Sisters of St. Francis as teachers. In fact, the School Sisters were so highly regarded that when S. Christine was baptized, she was named “Arnolda” after S. Arnolda, who along with S. Anthony and a group of other long-term School Sisters, taught at Chilton for over twenty years.

When S. Christine was in first grade, S. Anthony, the superior, asked all the little girls, “How many of you would like to be Sisters when you grow up?” All except Arnolda raised their hands. When asked why she didn’t want to be a Sister, S. Christine said because she didn’t want to leave her mother and father. She persisted in this state of mind until 8th grade when God began to call her in very simple, mysterious, almost miraculous ways to join the School Sisters.

In 7th grade, S. Citina asked Christine and a group of girls what they wanted to be when they grew up. Christine said she would like to be a teacher. S. Citina suggested, “Why don’t you become a Sister – then you can be a Sister-Teacher. Why don’t you say a Hail Mary every day that God will call you.” Christine still didn’t want to be called but she prayed the Hail Mary every day anyway!

When Christine was in 8th grade, S. Citina invited her to visit St. Joseph Convent. There was not a single thing about the convent that attracted Christine. And yet, after she came back home that day, Christine felt strongly drawn to religious life, and subsequently, following God’s call, entered the convent in August of 1932.

As the years progressed, S. Christine followed God’s call:

• In 1935 – to reception, when she was given the name of S. Aemilian

• In 1936 – to be one of the first small group of Sister-students in the newly established Alverno College of Education

• In 1939 - 1941 – to teach 3rd grade at St. John Nepomuc School in Racine

• In 1941 – 1948 – to teach English, Latin, and Religion at Madonna High School in Aurora, Illinois

• In 1948 – 2005 (58 years) – to teach philosophy at Alverno College, to help lead the Arts & Humanities Division into the new Alverno Program, to be a charter member of the Communications Division in creating the Alverno Assessment Center, and in Christine’s later years at Alverno, being Faculty Assistant in the Center.

• In 2005 – 2010 – to St. Joseph Center ministry of prayer and presence.
  

Throughout her life, Sister Christine has always answered the ever-changing call of God with a peace-filled, hopeful “yes.” And now, Sister has answered “yes” to God’s final call to spend eternity with Him in His home.