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Public Welfare Dept. Investigating After Nun Is Scalded At Personal Care Home, Dies

BELLEVUE (KDKA) -- State authorities are now investigating after an elderly nun died from injuries after being burned by hot water at a Bellevue personal care home.

Sr. Roberta Ann Voytek, 91, died after suffering severe burns at the Marian Hall Home. She apparently fell on Sunday and was scalded with overflowing water from a sink.

The care home has been cited in the past for having water temperatures that far exceed state standards.

Sr. Roberta Ann confessed her vows in 1937.

After spending a life ministering in Pennsylvania, Texas, Oregon and New Jersey, she spent her recent time living in prayer and retirement at Marian Hall Home.

But something went terribly wrong last Sunday when she fell and overflowing, scalding water poured on top of her.

The next day, she died at UPMC Mercy Hospital from what the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office says was a complication from thermal injuries - burns.

No one from Marian Hall would go on camera, but in a statement Friday night, they said, "We hope you respect how difficult this is for us at the loss of our beloved sister. Thank you and God bless you."

Marian Hall has had trouble with hot water before.

During a state inspection just two months ago, inspectors found three sinks with water temperatures above 130 degrees. That's substantially hotter than the state limit of 120 degrees.

A spokesperson for Marian Hall says, however, that the building where Sr. Roberta Ann was burned is not the same building that state inspectors cited.

Even so, the Department of Public Welfare is investigating to find out exactly how the death occurred.

Sr. Roberta Ann taught in several parish schools in Pittsburgh. She also did community service in Uniontown and at St. Assisi Convent in Bellevue.

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