Mary, one of eight children of Marshall Thomas and Mary June Raley Payne, was born August 1, 1905, in Knottsville, Ky. Her faith journey began with baptism October 31 at St William Church, Knottsville.
In September 1912, Mary began her formal education at St. William School, where she completed grade eight and began high school classes. She completed secondary studies as a postulant in the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph.
On December 21, 1926, Mary, along with 15 other young women, entered the novitiate to begin preparation for the life of an Ursuline. On March 19, 1927, she was invested in the Ursuline habit, and received the name Sister Joseph Raymond. She returned to her baptismal name, Mary Jane, in the 1970s, following theological developments of Vatican Council II encouraging religious to do.
While in the novitiate, Sister was assigned to teach grades 1-4 at nearby St. Raphael for the second semester of the 1928 school year. She spent the next year at St. Elizabeth School, Curdsville, Ky., and the following year at St. Charles in Marion County, Ky. In 1930, she was assigned for two years to Wynot, Neb. She returned to Kentucky and taught at Springfield. In 1933, she was assigned to New Mexico, teaching one year each at Waterflow and Blanco. She came back to Kentucky and taught at Flaherty, Raywick (St. Joseph), and Holy Cross before returning to Farmington and Waterflow, N.M., for 11 years. In 1964, she came back to Kentucky and taught at Paducah (St. Thomas More), Earlington, and Flaherty, then returned to New Mexico for one year at San Fidel, in 1972. She then spent two years at Lourdes Elementary School in Nebraska City, Neb., one year at Knottsville, and one year in Popular Bluff, Mo. She spent 1977 back at Knottsville off duty.
Sister Mary Jane retired to the Motherhouse in 1978. For the last few years of her life, Sister Mary Jane was a patient in the infirmary. She passed away quietly on September 14, 1996. Her funeral Mass was celebrated by Father Anthony Shonis, chaplain, on September 18, followed by the burial of her remains in the convent cemetery.