The daughter of John and Mary Jane Cotter, Bernadette was born March 4, 1898, in Cedar Hill, Tenn., one of eight children. She was enrolled as a student at Mount Saint Joseph Academy during the years 1914-1917. At the age of 20, Bernadette entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph and received the Ursuline habit on March 19, 1919, and the name Sister Mary Jean.
In 1919, Sister Mary Jean was missioned to St. Peter School in Waverly, Ky., for two years. Her next assignment was St. Bernard Academy in Nebraska City, Neb., for eight years. She spent 1934-1935 in full-time study at The Catholic University of America. From 1935 to 1948, she taught English and art at Mount Saint Joseph Junior College and Academy. She then taught one year at St. Catherine High School in New Haven, Ky. She returned to the faculty at Mount Saint Joseph Junior College and Academy, commuting to Owensboro to teach college courses. In 1950, Mount Saint Joseph Junior College relocated to Owensboro and became Brescia College, a co-educational, four-year institution. Sister Mary Jean became a member of the Brescia faculty, teaching both English and art. She served as chair of the art department until 1969, and was named professor emeritus in 1974.
Sister Mary Jean retired from Brescia in 1975. She enjoyed the peace and quiet of the Motherhouse, the beautiful campus, and more opportunity for sharing her great passion – devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On November 8, 1980, she was admitted to Mercy Hospital with a broken hip. After surgery, her condition weakened and on November 17, she quietly breathed her last. Her funeral Mass was concelebrated by Father Bernard Barnes, homilist, Msgr. Bernard Powers, Father Jude Weisenbach, Brescia’s Academic Dean, and Father Henry Willett. Sister Mary Jean’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery. Her Ursuline sister, Sister Gonzaga, had preceded her in death.
Expressions of sympathy took the form of donations to the Sister Mary Jean Cotter Scholarship Fund at Brescia College.