Margaret Elizabeth (Bessie) was born to James Robert II and Mary Elizabeth Hagan Spain on April 21, 1911, at New Haven, Ky. Her faith journey began with baptism at St. Catherine Church. When Bessie was 1 year old, her mother died. Her two teenage sisters cared for her until her father’s remarriage when Margaret was 6.
Margaret’s formal education began in 1917 at the Nelson County Public School in New Haven. Later, she attended St. Catherine Elementary School, St. Augustine Elementary School, (Lebanon), and St. Charles High School, St. Mary, Ky. She graduated from St. Catherine High School, New Haven in 1928.
On September 8, 1930, Margaret entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph. On March 20, 1933, she received the habit and the name Sister Jamesina.
She began her teaching apostolate at St. Martin School in Flaherty, Ky. Other assignments were in Kentucky Catholic high schools at Mayfield, Hardinsburg, Knottsville, Leitchfield, New Haven, and St. Charles Public High School, Lebanon. Sister also taught at Mother of Good Counsel School in Louisville, St. Bartholomew in Buechel, and St. Frances, Loretto, Ky.
After 40 years in classroom teaching and administration, she served as pastoral minister in several areas: Sacred Heart Parish in Popular Bluff, Mo.; and in the Kentucky parishes of St. Edward, Jeffersontown; St. Christopher, Radcliff; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Campbellsville; St. Bernard, Clementsville; Holy Redeemer, Greensburg; and Our Lady of Fatima, Phillipsburg. She also served in the Rural Office of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Louisville, located at Nazareth, Ky. After retiring to the Motherhouse, she assisted the community archivist.
Sister Jamesina died January 12, 2000, in the Mount Saint Joseph infirmary, the first Mount Saint Joseph Ursuline to die in the new millennium. Bishop James Kendrick Williams of the Diocese of Lexington, dear friend and relative, along with Msgr. Bernard Powers, Fathers Stan Osborne, Ben Luther, and Frank Roof concelebrated the funeral Mass on January 15, 2000. Others priests in attendance were Fathers Tony Stevenson and Leonard Alvey. Her remains are buried in the convent cemetery.