Mary Hilda was born Aug. 12, 1910, one of 10 children of Edward and Estelle Howard Mudd of New Haven, Ky. Her father was a physician. Hilda received her elementary and secondary education at St. Catherine School in New Haven. She was first taught by the Sisters of Loretto. In 1919, the Sisters of Loretto left the school and Mount Saint Joseph Ursuline Sisters came. At an early age, Hilda showed unusual interest and talent in language and history. She entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph at the age of 20. On March 19, 1931, following her six month as a postulant, she received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister James Edward.
Sister James Edward was first assigned to St. Bernard High School in Clementsville, Ky., for two years. She next taught seventh and eighth grades at St. Paul School in Louisville for one year. She spent two years studying at St. Mary of the Woods College in Terre Haute, Ind. In 1938, Sister was missioned to Flaherty, Ky. Within six weeks, she became ill and spent the remainder of the year off duty. In 1939, she was assigned to St. Charles High School Lebanon, Ky., for seven years, followed by three years at Fredericktown (Ky.) High School.
In 1949, she was appointed the first librarian at Brescia College in Owensboro, where she also taught history. During the academic year 1969-1970, she completed a master’s degree at Creighton University, Omaha, Neb., and returned as librarian at Brescia. Sister James Edward contributed significantly to the design of the Brescia College Library building. After serving 32 years as Brescia College librarian, Sister retired in 1981, but remained to serve as the college archivist until 1990. Sister James Edward reclaimed her baptismal name, Hilda, when the members of religious communities were encouraged to do so following the theological developments of Vatican II.
Sister Hilda retired from Brescia College in 1990 and returned to Mount Saint Joseph. She suffered a series of strokes which confined her to the infirmary. Death came to her on September 10, 1993, while she was a patient at Mercy Hospital in Owensboro. On September 14, Father Leonard Alvey, principal celebrant, and Fathers Bernard Barnes, OSM, acting chaplain, Jude Weisenbeck, SDS, and Msgr. Bernard Powers celebrated the funeral Mass. Sister Hilda’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.