The daughter of Albert and Carrie Cruz Barker, Ursula was born Sept. 13, 1902, in Waverly, Ky. Her early schooling began at St. Peter School in Waverly where she had the Ursuline Sisters as teachers. Ursula attended high school at Mount Saint Joseph Academy during the year 1919-1920. Four days before her 25th birthday, Ursula entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph. After a postulancy of six months, Ursula received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Joseph Ursula on March 19, 1928.
In 1930, Sister Joseph Ursula was assigned to Seven Holy Founders School in Affton, Mo., and taught there for two years. Other teaching assignments were in Kentucky at Curdsville, St. Raphael, Louisville (St. Columba), Earlington, Hardinsburg, Mayfield, Owensboro (Blessed Mother), Curdsville, Louisville (St. Margaret Mary and St. James), Jeffersontown, and Owensboro (St. Pius X). In 1972, she resigned from classroom teaching and tutored students in reading at St. Angela Education Center in Louisville for six years.
Sister Joseph Ursula retired from the classroom in 1978, and returned to Mount Saint Joseph. She was actively involved in life at the Motherhouse for several years. Among her responsibilities was the delivery of mail from Maple Mount Post Office to Sisters’ individual mailboxes in the Motherhouse. Toward the end of her life, Sister was confined to the infirmary, suffering from a serious condition of the heart. She died of congestive heart failure on September 16, 1981. Sister Joseph Ursula’s funeral Mass was celebrated by Father Anthony Shonis, chaplain, on September 18, at St. Alphonsus Church. Sister’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.
NOTE: The chapel at Mount Saint Joseph underwent major renovation between July 1991 and July 1992. The funerals of Sisters who died between those dates were held at St. Alphonsus Church, St. Joseph, Ky.