The daughter of John and Catherine Hardesty Peterson, Beatrice was born September 14, 1895, in St. Mary, Ky. At the age of 19, Beatrice entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph and on August 10, 1915, she received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Mary Joseph.
Prepared for the teaching apostolate, Sister Mary Joseph spent her first eight years of teaching at St. Anthony School in Jeffersonville, Ind. In 1924, she was missioned to Sacred Heart Academy in Waterflow, N.M., and remained there until 1935 as principal and teacher. During that time, she also ministered as catechist for the Navajo children at Shiprock. She was assigned to Glennonville, Mo., in 1935, and was elected community treasurer in 1937. She served for two consecutive terms in that position. She then went to Holy Cross and to Waverly, Ky. In 1946, she was re-elected community treasurer. After serving for two terms, she was missioned to St. Francis, Raywick, Hardinsburg, and Owensboro (Blessed Mother) Ky. In 1957, for the third time, she was elected community treasurer and served two consecutive terms, bringing the total number of years in that office to 18. Because of her practical wisdom, her generous spirit and complete dedication to the Ursuline mission, Sister Mary Joseph is remembered as an influential leader in the preservation of the mission and ministry of Mount Saint Joseph.
Sister Mary Joseph returned to Mount Saint Joseph in 1963 to serve as assistant to the community treasurer and to supervise maintenance of the farm, Motherhouse buildings and campus. During this time, she was also in charge of the annual Mount Saint Joseph Picnic.
Sister Mary Joseph spent the last few months of her life in the infirmary suffering from serious heart problems. She died in the late evening on July 10, 1976. The funeral Mass was celebrated by her nephew, Father Gerald Peterson, a Glenmary priest working in Tennessee. Six priests concelebrated the Mass and three others were present in the assembly. Sister’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery. The white marble crucifix at the entrance of convent cemetery, donated by Sister Mary Joseph’s mother, is a memorial to the John Peterson family.