Mary Teresa was born in Plattsville, Colo., on Jan. 15, 1921, the second child of James and Mary Collard Milner. Teresa joined an older sister, Rita, and was followed by brothers James, Stanley and her baby sister, Marcella Ann.
The Milner family returned to Kentucky where Teresa completed elementary school in Clarkson, and the first two years of high school in Peonia, where she came in contact with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. She completed the last two years of high school at Bethlehem Academy, near Rineyville, taught by the Sisters of Loretto.
In 1940, Teresa became a postulant at Mount Saint Joseph. Teresa entered the novitiate August 14, 1941, and received the name Sister Mary Jovita. Before she made temporary vows, while still in the novitiate, she was sent to teach at St. Elizabeth in Curdsville, Ky. For the next 56 years she spent her life teaching primary grades in nine different missions. The first 22 years were spent in Kentucky schools: Curdsville, Owensboro, New Haven, Peonia, Harrodsburg; 12 years in New Mexico at Farmington and Albuquerque. In 1976 she returned to Kentucky teaching at St. Denis, Shively, until 1983 when she was assigned to St Bartholomew in Louisville until retiring from teaching in 1998.
Poor health did not keep Sister Jovita from actively caring for the needs of others. She cared for her aged mother in her home, with the help of Betty Ocano, Sister’s dear and faithful friend since her days in New Mexico. After her mother’s death, Sister and Betty remained in the family home. Sister was hospitalized in Louisville several times over a period of two or three years prior to death in the hospital on August 24, 2010.
As an expression of love and gratitude for Sister Jovita’s many years of ministry among them, the parishioners of St. Bartholomew celebrated a Mass of Resurrection in the parish church before Sister’s remains were brought to Mount Saint Joseph for the wake service August 26 followed by the Mass of Resurrection in the Motherhouse chapel celebrated by Msgr. Bernard Powers on August 27th. Sister’s remains are buried in the Motherhouse cemetery.