Mary Isabelle Bowling was born on June 8, 1911, in Athertonville, Larue County, Kentucky. She was the last of eight children of Joseph Walker and Mary Alexine McGee Bowling, who were descendants from the original pioneer settlers who came in 1785 to Nelson County, Kentucky. Charles Patrick was the oldest, followed by Martina, Bill, Nancy, Rose, Mary, Jack and Mary Isabelle. Charles became a priest; Martina, Bill and Jack married. Nancy, Rose and Mary became Sisters of Loretto. Their home was a happy place, full of music. The mother had a beautiful voice and played the piano and organ. The children also learned to play the piano or the violin. Their life was characterized by “a deep Catholic faith, unlimited trust in Divine Providence and family prayer, morning and evening.”
Mary Isabelle’s formal education began at St. Catherine School in New Haven, taught by the Sisters of Loretto. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph took over that school while she was in the second grade and she continued through high school with Ursuline teachers. Despite the fact that three of her sisters were members of the Sisters of Loretto — whose motherhouse was almost in walking distance from her home — Mary Isabelle announced that she wanted to be an Ursuline. In early February 1931, she boarded the train to come to Mount Saint Joseph, a place she had never seen. In all, there were 16 young women in the postulant class who received the habit on August 15,1931. At that time, Mary Isabelle received the name Sister Charlesine. Sister made temporary vows in 1933 and final vows in 1936.
Sister Charlesine spent 55 years in classroom teaching and/or serving as principal at elementary and high school levels in Kentucky –Louisville, Paducah, Buechel, Loretto, Flaherty, Leitchfield, Clementsville, New Haven – and in Nebraska City, Nebraska. When she retired from teaching , she spent 15 years of volunteer ministry in Louisville, living first at St. Boniface and later at St. Angela on Edenside where she had lived several years while teaching at St. James. She taught reading to adults from poor neighborhoods, worked at a senior citizen’s center with the RSVP, visited the sick in three nursing homes, at Venco Hospital and with the Caring Touch Program at St. Anthony Hospital. Her favorite place to work was at the American Red Cross, where she served as receptionist. She was especially grateful for those years in Louisville for the chance to care for her brother priest, “Charlie Pat” who lived with the Little Sisters of the Poor on Poplar Level Road.
Sister Charlesine retired to the Motherhouse in 2002 as a patient in Saint Joseph Villa. Her life became a time of patient waiting, resting in her recliner, rosary in hand, gratefully content to pray and suffer for blessings on the community, her loved ones and many friends, and for peace in our world.
Sister Charlesine died quietly and peacefully on Thursday, April 3, 2008. The wake service was held on Sunday evening, April 6 and the funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday, April 7. Father Donald Goetz, pastor of St. James Church in Louisville, delivered the homily. Father Dave Glockner was main celebrant. Her nephews and a cousin served as pallbearers. Sister’s remain are buried in the convent cemetery.