MARSHALL — Losing her voice didn’t stop Sister Donna Marie McGargill from teaching others how to be a “comeback kid.”

Because McGargill lost her voice after a surgery and could not talk for two years, she now speaks about her songs and teaches others how to be a “come back kid” through the toughest challenges God has given them on Earth.

On Oct. 23, members of Holy Redeemer Council of Catholic Women (CCW), Marshall heard McGargill’s life story about how she writes, sings and now teaches about her song, “Servant Song.” The song was picked up and published by Oregon Catholic Press, https://www.ocp.org/en-us/our-mission.

“She wrote the song in 1979 and recorded it in Nashville shortly after that,” CCW President Sheryl Kaiser said.

Holy Redeemer Church featured singing her song at Sunday Masses on Oct. 22, to showcase the upcoming speaker for CCW.

“I’m now a singer without vocal cords, but I continue to inspire, speak, teach the real meaning of my song,’ ” Kris Durschmidt of Russell quoted McGargill. “Sister said her most dear verse of this song, she now lives and teaches. It tells God he is her light and strength.”

“This song touches Sister because it has lyrics everyone one can relate to the struggles of life,” Durschmidt said. “She said she has a ‘closet full of non-published songs, but this is the one they wanted.’ Sister said ‘I won’t write another song, untill they publish some of the songs I still have gathered in my closet that are just as worthy.'”

“Sister McGargill is a very pleasant lady that loves to share her passion with others,” Kaiser said. “It was really very nice. It was a blessing for our parish to have her here.”

“She did a great job,” Paula Meyer, who also attended the CCW meeting, said.

McGargill currently lives in Omaha, Nebraska, where she is a member of the Servants of Mary Catholic Order. She has been able to travel the country to sing her songs, accompanied by guitar player and singer Joyce Geary. Geary was a former student of McGargill’s.

“Servant Song” can be found on youtube where McGargill recorded her original song. There are also several other singers who have performed her song on youtube.