Born in Sylvester, Georgia in 1904 to sharecroppers, she spent her youth in the fields out with her six brothers and sisters working on the land. When she was about seven years old her grandmother told her she had the " gift of healing hands "  which was obvious to all around her. At twelve years old country doctors from around Dougherty County sought her out to assist with childbirth activities that were outside of their cultural jurisdiction and understanding. She would formally acquire the skills necessary for this vocation from her grandmother and mother who passed their ancestral knowledge on to Mary Jane. 

 

 It is estimated that she birthed nearly 1,500 babies, in the State of Florida, between 1932 – 1981 including a couple of her own children and grandchildren. Mary was a tireless and jubilee-laden soul whose reputation as a midwife to the highest standard was well known. She worked out of the home, and traveled outside to rural communities to assist families in childbirth and after-birth visits.