Ora Frances was the daughter of Frank and Della Summers Kelley of Owensboro, Ky. She attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy during the years 1908-1909. That same summer she entered the novitiate and ten days later on July 14, 1909, Ora Frances received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Elizabeth.
Sister Elizabeth was prepared for the teaching apostolate and was first assigned to upper grades in the Ursuline-staffed Kentucky public schools in Raywick, Chicago (St. Francis), and Fredericktown. In 1919, she began teaching high school at Sacred Heart Academy in Waterflow, N.M. She returned to Kentucky in 1924 and taught high school at Calvary, Holy Cross, St. Francis, and Fredericktown. She was missioned to Bow Valley, Neb., for one year and to Glennonville, Mo., for one year teaching grades five through eight. She spent the first semester of 1931 at St. Francis High School and the second semester at Mount Saint Joseph Academy. She spent the next year at Waverly. She returned to the Academy for three years. Beginning in 1936, she spent one year in each of the following high schools: Fredericktown, Peonia, Holy Cross, Nebraska City, Mount Saint Joseph, Glennonville, Mount Saint Joseph, Waverly, Mount Saint Joseph, Stanley, Clementsville, Waterflow, Mayfield, New Haven, Flaherty, Knottsville, and Mayfield. (Between the year at New Haven and Flaherty, she spent two years at St. Joseph Elementary School in Raywick). Sister’s last teaching assignment was the seventh grade at St. Denis in Shively, Ky., from 1962 to 1965.
Sister Elizabeth retired from teaching in 1965, came to the Mount to serve as switchboard operator and assist the community librarian. Sister Elizabeth was admitted to Mercy Hospital in Owensboro on October 19, 1977, suffering congestive heart failure. Death was inevitable, but she requested to return to Mount Saint Joseph She wished to die ‘at home’. She was brought back to the Motherhouse infirmary on October 27 and died within two hours. Her death occurred during the procession to the cemetery for the burial of Sister Agnes Therese Kastner who had died two days earlier. At the time of her death, she was one of the oldest members of the community.
Msgr. Bernard Powers, former chaplain, and Father Anthony Ziegler, chaplain, celebrated the funeral Mass on October 29, 1977. Sister Elizabeth’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.