Frances Ruth Mattingly was born on September 22, 1935, to Joseph George Mattingly and Annie Mae Hall Mattingly of St. Francis, Ky.. She was baptized by Father Fitzgibbon on September 28, 1935, at St. Francis of Assisi in St. Francis. She was confirmed on May 11, 1942, at St. Francis of Assisi by Archbishop Floersh.
Her early years of schooling were with the Sisters of Loretto. After several years, her family moved to Fredericktown, Ky., where the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph taught her.
Frances Ruth had five brothers and two sisters – Joseph Thomas, Mary Kathleen, Joseph George, Joseph Eugene, James Walter, John Bruce and Esther Marie.
She came to Mount St. Joseph on September 7, 1955, and entered with five other young women. In February three more young women came to join them.
Francis Ruth received the habit on August 14, 1956, taking the name of Sister Walter Ann, later to be changed back to Sister Ruth. She made first vows on August 15, 1958, and made final vows on August 15, 1961.
She began her education at Brescia College in 1958. She received her bachelor’s degree from Brescia in She received her master’s degree in Elementary Education in 1974 from Western Kentucky University. Over the years she attended many workshops in Math, Reading and Religious Education.
Her years of ministry took her to St. Bartholomew School, Buechel, Ky.; St. Teresa School, Glennonville, Mo.; Immaculate Conception School, Hawesville, Ky.; St. Denis School, Louisville, Ky.; St. Joseph School, San Fidel, N.M., and St. Joseph Parish, Leitchfield, Ky. She also worked for a time in Personal and Pastoral Care in the Motherhouse Infirmary and later was the Coordinator of the Guest House at Mount Saint Joseph. After retirement, she enjoyed quilting and was an Information Receptionist at the Motherhouse.
Sister Ruth Mattingly, 83, was called to her eternal home at 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018, Solemnity of All Saints, in her 62nd year of religious life. The Funeral Mass was on Monday, November 5, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. in the Motherhouse Chapel with burial in the convent cemetery.