Born July 14, 1895, in St. Vincent, Ky., Matilda was the daughter of Sylvester and Margaret Mills Greenwell, descendants of the Maryland Catholic families who settled Nelson County. Following her earlier education at Cruz School in Waverly, Matilda spent her high school years (1910-1914) at Mount Saint Joseph Academy. She received special awards for various types of needlework, china painting, drawing, and watercolors. Matilda entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph and following a three‑month postulancy, she received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Mary Cleophas on December 30, 1914.
Sister Cleophas was prepared for the teaching apostolate and spent many years in the various schools of Kentucky teaching students in the middle elementary grades. Her first assignment was to Hardinsburg in 1915. Other assignments were to St. Paul School in Louisville, Stanley, Mount Saint Joseph Academy teaching art, Rome, Browns Valley, Knottsville, Flaherty, Clementsville, Calvary and Raywick. In 1944, she was assigned to St. Alphonsus for 10 years. She spent part of the next year at Peonia, and returned to St. Alphonsus for 11 more years.
Sister Cleophas retired from teaching in 1967. She spent much of her time applying her artistic skills in painting, watercolor, needlework and designing patterns for colorful sewing and crafts. This was her contribution to the annual Mount Saint Joseph Picnic. Death came to Sister Cleophas on June 6, 1986, while she was a patient in Mercy Hospital at Owensboro. Following the funeral Mass, Sister’s remains were laid to rest in the convent cemetery.