Mary Willie, the daughter of William and Martha Mitchell Wimsatt, was born March 20, 1894, in Newman, Ky. In 1900, she began her education at St. Peter of Alcantara School in Stanley. She attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy during the years 1906-1914. Having entered the novitiate at the age of 20, Mary Willie received the Ursuline habit on December 30, 1914, and the name Sister Mary Thomas.
Sister Mary Thomas’ first mission was St. Elizabeth School at Curdsville, Ky. For 41 years Sister Mary Thomas taught music in the various Kentucky parochial and public schools staffed by the Ursulines: Hardinsburg, Fairfield, Lebanon (St. Charles), Louisville (St. Angela Home), St. Francis, Central City, Shively, Fredericktown, Howardstown, Flaherty, St. Columba in Louisville for 12 years, and St. Francis again. Sister was an excellent teacher of piano, organ, wind instruments, and had great success directing school choirs and orchestras. Beginning in 1957, she retired from music, and taught fourth grade in four parochial schools in Kentucky: Blessed Mother in Owensboro, St. Thomas More in Paducah, St. Bartholomew in Buechel and St. Leonard in Louisville.
Due to ill health, Sister Mary Thomas retired to the Motherhouse during the school year 1969-1970 at St. Leonard. She suffered a massive stroke on July 31, 1976, and died at Mercy Hospital on September 16, having never regained consciousness. Father Anthony Ziegler, chaplain, was celebrant at the funeral Mass on September 18, 1976. Present in the sanctuary were Father Anselm Ginter, OSB, homilist, Msgr. Bernard Powers, Msgr. Edward Russell, and Father Leo Sheeran, a former pupil from Hardinsburg. Sister Mary Thomas’ remains are buried in the convent cemetery.