On November 28, 1898, Mary Ellen and her twin sister, Emma, were two of the 12 children born to Samuel Thomas and Elizabeth Ann Peak Floyd of Rome, Ky. Mary Ellen began her formal education at St. Martin School, staffed by the Ursulines of the Immaculate Conception, Louisville. Upon completion of grade eight, she came to Mount Saint Joseph Academy for high school.
On July 16, 1916, she entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph with her best friend, Della Smith. In September, her twin sister, Emma and another sister, Annabelle, joined the class of postulants. The three received the Ursuline habit on November 28, 1917 and received new names. Ellen became Sister Mary Clara, Emma became Sister Clarissa, Anna Belle became Sister Theophane. Della Smith received the name Sister Mary Raymond.
Sister Mary Clara’s apostolate of teaching began at St. Mary, Ky., where she remained three years. Other Ursuline schools where she labored in Kentucky were New Haven, Louisville (St. Columba, St. Paul, St. Ignatius), Fairfield, Shively, Waverly, Flaherty, Jeffersontown, Owensboro (St. Joseph), Mayfield, Buechel, Cloverport, Fredericktown, St. Francis, Lyndon, and Hardinsburg. She spent three years at Seven Holy Founders, Affton, Mo. Sister taught in the classroom for 56 years, usually in the primary or middle grades. She was an excellent teacher, who treated the children as adults and loved them into good behavior and excitement about learning. An unusual sense of humor lived close to the surface of her lady-like composure, “proper decorum” and friendliness. She never met a stranger.
In 1975, she retired from classroom teaching and lived at St. Ignatius Retirement Center, Louisville, devoting herself to prayer, reading and craftwork, until she came to the Motherhouse in 1983. She and her childhood friend and classmate, Sister Mary Raymond, lived together in retirement at the Mount for almost 20 years, an unusual blessing for them both. On April 16, 1996, Sister Mary Clara ended her day as always, saying goodnight to everyone, but going to her room earlier than usual hoping for a restful night. She entered eternal rest about 10:30 that evening.
Father Tony Shonis, chaplain, celebrated the funeral Mass two days later. Sister’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery. Her Ursuline sister, Sister Theophane, preceded her in death. Her sister, Emma, did not remain in the convent.