Born Mary Kinskey in 1894 in Zanesville, Ohio, she entered the novitiate of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in 1911 at the age of 17.

After completing that initial stage of membership in the congregation, she was assigned to teach, and was enrolled to gain her higher education at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. during the summer breaks.

According to the Notre Dame Archives and News, “She became a teacher and her interest in aviation stemmed from the enthusiasm for the subject from her students.” She then trained to become a licensed pilot at the Manitowoc County Airport and taught aerodynamics and meteorology at St. Ambrose High School in Ironwood, Michigan, in 1942.

These photographs taken by photographer Ann Rosener have been archived by the Library of Congress[2] During World War II Kinskey was asked to participate in training of military personnel by the Civil Aeronautics Board and taught aviation and aeronautics at Catholic University, her alma mater, to members of the United States Armed Forces.

[3] On November 12, 1956, Kinskey appeared as herself in "The Pilot", a biographical episode of the CBS Television Network anthology series "Westinghouse Studio One."