Born at Peonia, Ky., on Dec. 26, 1905, Elizabeth was the daughter of Benjamin and Mary T. Lucas Collard. Elizabeth received her education at Oklahoma Public School in Grayson County. During the school year 1923-1924, she attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy. Elizabeth entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph that September. On March 19, 1925, she received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Jean Bernadine.
Sister Jean Bernadine’s first assignment took her to St. Anthony School, Jeffersonville, Ind., for two years. Sister spent a half-century teaching elementary school at all levels in Kentucky, Missouri and New Mexico: In Kentucky she served at Cloverport, Shively, Louisville (St. Columba), Stanley, Owensboro (St. Joseph), Knottsville, Fancy Farm, Fairfield, Bardwell, Earlington, Louisville (St. Paul), Fredericktown, Vine Grove (twice), Calhoun, St. Alphonsus, Hardinsburg, Leitchfield (St. Paul), Lyndon, Hodgenville, and Mayfield. She served in Affton, Mo., Albuquerque, N.M., and Farmington, N.M.
Sister Jean Bernadine retired from teaching in 1979 and came to the Motherhouse. She enjoyed relatively good health and engaged in many of the activities for senior citizens in the area. She had a great devotion to the Blessed Mother, and before her retirement had visited the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and Guadalupe.
In time, she became ill and was an infirmary patient. On December 11, 1990, she returned to the infirmary following a brief stay at Mercy Hospital. She was found dead after midnight the morning of December 12, 1990, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Father Anthony Shonis, chaplain, celebrated her funeral Mass two days later. Sister Jean Bernadine’s remains rest in the convent cemetery.