The daughter of James Edward and Marietta Brey, Mary Regina was born in Pettit, Ky. She was the seventh child in a family of five brothers and one sister. She received her education, grade school through high school, at St. Peter Alcantara in Stanley. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph were her teachers. Regina entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph when she was 20 years of age. Following a six‑month postulancy, she received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Jean Martin on March 19, 1924.
Sister Jean Martin started teaching at Holy Name of Mary School in Calvary, Ky., in 1925. Her next assignments were at Fredericktown, Ky., and Nebraska City, Neb., where she spent 14 years. She came back to Kentucky in 1944 and taught at St. Charles in Marion County for four years. She returned to Nebraska City in 1948 remaining, this time, for 21 years. Thirty‑five of Sister Jean Martin’s teaching years were spent in Nebraska City and during many of these summers she taught catechism there during vacation schools. She came back to Kentucky in 1969 to teach part-time at St. Bernard School in Louisville. In 1977, Sister returned to Mount Saint Joseph. She worked in the Academy Student Shop as assistant shopkeeper. Her beautiful needlework and cheerful hospitality greatly increased the volume of sales.
Sister Jean Martin began living in the infirmary in 1988. During these years, she enjoyed the extra time for prayer and reading of Scripture and visits from family members and friends. Death came to her on Easter Sunday morning, April 3, 1994. Because of a chronic heart condition, she had been admitted to Mercy Hospital in Owensboro the previous morning. On April 6, Wednesday of Easter week, Father Anthony Shonis, chaplain, and Msgr. Bernard Powers concelebrated her funeral Mass. Sister Jean Martin’s remains rest in the convent cemetery.