The daughter of James and Adell Cielice Stratton, Eleanor was born Feb. 5, 1895, in Louisville, Ky. She attended school in Louisville during her childhood and when she was 14 years of age, Eleanor attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy, graduating in 1914. During these years she received high honors in vocal performance. She entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph that same summer for her postulancy. On December 30, 1914, Eleanor received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Mary Damien.
Prepared for an apostolate of teaching music, Sister Mary Damien’s first assignment was Mount Saint Joseph Academy, where she taught music for seven years. Her next assignment took her to St. Anthony School in Jeffersonville, Ind., where she became seriously ill with inflammatory rheumatism during the second semester.
This illness caused Sister Mary Damien’s immediate return to Mount Saint Joseph and she never recovered her health. The inflammatory rheumatism finally caused her death on July 14, 1926. Her Requiem Mass was celebrated two days later by Father Anthony Fischer, MSJ chaplain, who was assisted by two other priests. The sermon was preached by Father E.S. Fitzgerald. Sister Mary Damien was buried in the convent cemetery.