Sister Carolyn Sur and former student Carol Toney share a selfie during one of Carol’s visits last summer.
By the time Sister Carolyn Sur retired from teaching, she had fulfilled decades of various educational ministries. This would include stints for multiple high schools, colleges and universities, including such well-known institutions as Washington University and St. Louis University in St. Louis; Mount Mary University, Milwaukee; and Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, Louisiana. Tucked back in her much earlier days of ministry were two years spent at Teutopolis High School in Teutopolis, Illinois. Sister Carolyn was a math teacher at Teutopolis in the late 1960s, only her second teaching role upon completing her own studies. Teutopolis High School was a public school, but staffed by sisters as the property on which it sat was owned by the Catholic church.
It was at this time Carol Rhodes (now Toney) entered Teutopolis High School as a shy and unsure freshman. On her very first day of school, Carol went to the principal’s office in tears, asking to be permitted to drop her algebra class. Carol hadn’t even attended the class yet, but knowing an older brother had previously struggled with algebra, she had convinced herself that if he had a difficult time with it, there was no way she could do it. The principal promised to let her switch out of the class, so long as she gave it a two-week trial first.
As it turned out, Carol never had to take the principal up on that offer – with Sister Carolyn as that class’s math teacher, she earned As and Bs and more importantly, found a new level of confidence in herself which, recalls Carol, “made an amazing difference in my life.”
Fast forward to 2025, and Carol is “retired” from her decades-long career as a registered nurse – even though she still manages the medical records and immunizations for three local Catholic schools in Effingham, Illinois, (with approximately 1,000 students), looks in on family and friends with heath issues and volunteers at Sacred Heart Church and School.
Carol Toney with her Appalachian team in July 2024. Thirty people joined together from Effingham, IL, Peachtree City, GA and Switzerland.
“I never thought retirement would look like this!” says Carol.
Additionally, she has found purpose in bringing her skills and experience as a nurse to healthcare-focused mission work. “When my feet hit the ground in Honduras, I knew that’s where I needed to be,” says Carol. “I’ve been to Honduras, Bolivia, Haiti and Africa. In Bolivia we worked at 13,000 feet so it was very cold, with no heat in the house, hospitals or day care. The altitude took three or four days to adjust to. I’ve taken kids on domestic mission trips to Chicago, Wisconsin, Atlanta and the Appalachian Mountains. I love to travel, and I love to serve and take care of the poor, probably because we were so poor growing up and many people helped us.”
If patients need blood for surgery, nurses such as Carol step up as donors.
Her most recent mission trip, just completed in February, was a month spent with Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone, West Africa. “It (Mercy Ships) is a renovated cruise ship for mostly surgical cases for the people who have no access to this care in these areas. There are over 400 volunteers from all over the world. I was on Mercy Ships in Cameron, West Africa, 8 years ago right after I retired. I met a great group of friends that I still stay in touch with from Germany, Canada and the U.S.”
“Everyone should do this (mission work) at least once. It gives you a new appreciation for all the blessings we have in the U.S.,” she adds.
Carol and her family celebrating the holiday season.
Carol maintains an ongoing relationship with Sister Carolyn who helped set her on a path of believing in herself as a young student in Teutopolis. “Teens are so worried about so many things both 50-60 years ago and today,” recalls Carol. “Sister Carolyn was so kind and sweet. I see her when I get to St. Louis. If all students could have a teacher like her today, the world would be a much different place.”