Mary Catherine, one of seven children of George Xavier and Myrtle Ann Raley Wathen, was born April 15, 1909, in Marion County, Ky. On April 25, she began her journey of faith with baptism at Holy Name of Mary Church, Calvary, Ky. Her father and an uncle bought a house near Little Saint Joseph in Marion County, and the two families moved in when Mary Catherine was about 4 years old. It was similar to a duplex; the Wathens occupied the east wing and the Thomas family the west side. As the two families grew, Aunt Sue Thomas and the children moved into a separate home. In September 1915 Catherine began her formal education in a one‑room school in Lagoon, Ky. Later she attended St. Joseph School, staffed by the Ursulines, where she completed the eleventh grade.
On September 7, 1927, Mary Catherine, along with six other young ladies, entered the MSJ novitiate to begin the three‑year preparation for the life of an Ursuline (Mary Catherine also attended MSJ Academy to complete her high school education.) On March 19, she was invested in the Ursuline habit, and received the name Sister George Marie.
In September 1930, shortly after professing temporary vows, Sister was assigned to teach fourth grade at St. James in Louisville, where she remained 17 years. Other assignments during her 45 years in the classroom were in Ursuline‑staffed schools in Central City, Paducah, Lyndon, Wax, and Louisville, Ky., and in Affton and Florissant, Mo. During the summers of these years, she continued her own education at MSJ Junior College, Ursuline College and Catherine Spalding College in Louisville, where she earned a BS.
In 1975, Sister returned to the MSJ Motherhouse to be local superior for the next six years, followed by a year of service in health care. She also managed the Student Shop from 1982‑91, which she thoroughly enjoyed. In 1995, she began developing eye problems and had very limited vision. This eventually necessitated a move to the Infirmary.
In June 2002, she was one of the charter group to move into the new health care facility. She began to steadily go down, and was not always fully alert. August 20, 2003, was a bright sunny day; Sister George Marie quietly met her spouse and creator at 3:20 p.m.
The wake service was held Friday evening August 22nd with Sister Rita Scott as leader. Readers were Sisters Catherine Barber and Marie Goretti Browning. Cantor was Sister Elaine Burke and organist was Sister Eileen Howard. Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan, Congregational Leader, spoke in remembrance followed by Sister Marie Bosco Wathen — Sister George Marie’s sister — Sister Mary David Thomas, and Sister Catherine Barber.
The funeral liturgy was held Saturday morning August 23rd with Father Joe Mills, MSJ Chaplain, as celebrant. Sister George Marie is buried in the convent cemetery.