Mary Rose was one of seven children born to Milburn Boone and Mary Magdalene Bryan Boone. She was born April 26,1910, and was baptized April 30,1910, at Saint Catherine Church in New Haven, Ky. On September 10,1916, she was confirmed at Saint Catherine Church. Her siblings were Andrew, Miles Nicholas, Chester, Stephen Jesse, Agnes Emily, and Milburn.
Rose Ann attended Saint Catherine Grade and High School in New Haven. She, along with 13 other young women, entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph in August 1927. On March 19, 1928, she received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Rose Ann.
Sister Rose Ann taught in both public and Catholic schools in Kentucky and New Mexico, often serving as principal and local superior. She began teaching at Hardinsburg, Ky., in 1930. From there she was missioned to New Mexico (Blanco and Waterflow), followed by Kentucky missions at Vine Grove, Curdsville, Flaherty, Calvary, Vine Grove (a second time), Fredericktown, Clementsville, Flaherty (a second time), Radcliff, and Louisville (St. James, and St. Bernard and St. Margaret Mary). In 1973, Sister Rose Ann retired from classroom teaching and administration to serve as librarian at St. Charles (Lebanon, Ky.), Louisville (Mother of Good Counsel), Albuquerque, N.M., (St. Charles Borromeo), Owensboro (Cathedral and St. Pius X, shared time). In 1983, she became part-time librarian at Brescia College in Owensboro, also remaining part-time at Cathedral School. She became director of the curriculum library at Brescia in 1986 before coming the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center in 1988 to organize a library.
Because of declining health, Sister Rose Ann retired in 1993 after 57 years of service as a brilliant teacher and educational visionary. She gracefully celebrated the sacrament of “letting go.” Resting in the third floor of Lourdes Hall (the Motherhouse infirmary), she began the vigil of trust. Her waiting ended Saturday, November 19, 1994. The wake service was held on Monday, November 21, followed by the funeral Mass on Tuesday, November 22, 1994. Sister’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.