The daughter of James and Mary Alma Bickett, Mary Ellen was born Feb. 6, 1904, in Uniontown, Ky., one of 12 children, three of whom became Ursuline Sisters. Mary Ellen received her elementary education in the public schools of Union County and attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy for her secondary education. At the age of 20, she entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph. Following a six-month postulancy, Mary Ellen received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister James Alma on March 19, 1925.
Sister James Alma, prepared for the teaching apostolate, was first assigned to St. Martin School in Flaherty, Ky., where she spent four years. She was missioned to New Mexico for four years at Farmington and one year at Waterflow before returning to Kentucky for assignments to St. Lawrence, Sorgho, Owensboro (St. Joseph), Clarkson, and Lebanon (St. Charles). In 1944, she was sent to Glennonville, Mo., for one year. Her next assignments were in Kentucky at Raywick (St. Joseph), Flaherty, Clementsville, West Louisville (St. Raphael), Louisville (St. Columba), Calvary, Knottsville, Mayfield, Owensboro (St. Pius X), Axtel, Owensboro (Immaculate), Clementsville, Central City, and a return to Knottsville. Sister James Alma retired from teaching in 1974 and for one year was housekeeper at St. Charles Convent in Albuquerque, N.M. She then spent six years at St. Ignatius Retirement Center in Louisville. Sister used her art skills to create dolls, quilts, paintings, aprons and various other crafts for the benefit of the Ursuline retirement fund.
Sister James Alma returned to Mount Saint Joseph in 1981, suffering from cancer. Death came to Sister James Alma on December 16, 1985. Father Anthony Bickett, Father Bernard Barnes, OSM, chaplain, Msgr. Bernard Powers, and Father Roy Dentinger celebrated the funeral Mass on December 18, 1981. Sister James Alma’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery. Among her survivors were her two Ursuline sisters, Sister Blanche Rita and Sister Agnes Irene.