Sister Josephine Eva was born on June 17, 1930, in St. Louis to Henry and Sophie (Jablonski) Winkeler. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1949 and was received into the novitiate in 1950 as Sister John Michael. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Fontbonne College in 1961 and master’s degrees in education from Saint Louis University in 1967.

Sister Josephine was an educator for 50 years. In the 1950s, she taught grade school in Missouri at St. Louis Cathedral in St. Louis, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City and Valle Grade School in Ste. Genevieve. From 1957-63, she taught in Chicago. She then taught at Immacolata Grade School for a year. She continued teaching in the 1960s at Our Lady of Lourdes in Raytown, Missouri, St. Mary’s in Bridgeton and St. Luke the Evangelist in St. Louis.

In 1970, she returned to Valle Grade School and taught junior high. Six years later, she went on to Patrick Grade School in Rolla, Missouri, where she served as an administrator for eight years. From 1984-96, she was principal at St. Anthony of Padua in St. Louis. She then served in the same position for a year at St. Andrew School in Lemay. Her final three years in the classroom were spent at Notre Dame Elementary School in St. Louis, where she taught junior high.

Beginning in 2000, Sister Josephine volunteered in computer assistance at Nazareth Living Center in St. Louis until her retirement in 2016. Since 2017, she had resided at Nazareth Living Center, where she continued to carry out her mission of prayer and presence.

Burial was in Resurrection Cemetery.