Margaret Mary was born Oct. 23, 1878, the daughter of William and Mary Willett Wathen of St. Vincent, Ky. She attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy during the years 1892-1897, concentrating on music during her junior and senior years. Margaret Mary entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph on July 18, 1897. On October 9, she received the Ursuline habit from Bishop William George McCloskey of Louisville. Margaret Mary was given the name Sister Mary Anthony. She made final vows on December 18,1899, a member of the first class to make profession of vows at Mount Saint Joseph rather than at the Ursuline Motherhouse in Louisville.
Sister Mary Anthony was a music teacher. She was first assigned, in 1906, to St. James School in Louisville, followed by Hardinsburg, Ky., and Mount Saint Joseph Academy. In 1910, Sister was missioned to Waverly, Ky., and spent 15 years there. Her next assignments were to Jeffersontown, Cloverport, and Shively, Ky. In 1936, she spent one year at Seven Holy Founders in Affton, Mo. In 1937, Sister returned to St. Denis in Shively where she had previously spent eight years. She would spend another 15 years there.
Sister Mary Anthony retired to the Motherhouse in 1952 and after a brief illness, died on October 19, 1953, just four days before her 75th birthday. Sister Mary Anthony’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.