Catherine McPherson

Catherine (nee George) McPherson, of Cottage Grove, age 88, passed into the arms of Our Lord on February 18, 2013 at Regina Health Care Center in Hastings. Also formerly resided in Kansas City, KS, Kansas City, MO and West Point, NE and Louisville, KY.

Mass of Christian Burial 11:00 am Sat, Feb. 23, 2013 at St. Rita Catholic Church, 8694-80th Street S, Cottage Grove. Visitation Friday, Feb. 22, from 5-8 pm at Kok Funeral Home, 7676 – 80th Street S, Cottage Grove and one hour prior at church. Interment Cottage Grove Cemetery.

Survived by her loving children, Lynda McPherson, Karen (Jim) Decker, Donna (Al) Dockendorf, David (Kim) Jeffrey (Denise), Robert, William (Christy LaValle), Scott (Renee), Shawn (Jodi), Christopher (Carol); daughter-in-law, Sherry (Greg) Ness; 24 grandchildren; 26 great grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; brother, James (Sue) George and many other family and friends. Preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd; daughter Teresa Turner and son, Richard; parents, Clarence and Edna; sister Della Mae.

Catherine McPherson was born December 15, 1924 in Kansas City, Kansas. Her mother Edna (Bennett) George, was the first generation from Polish immigrant parents. She had one sister- Della Mae born two years later. She graduated from public high school in Wyandotte County Kansas in the class of 1943.

Catherine joined the US Navy WAVES in 1944. She was sent to New York and trained at Hunter College. Her specialty was typing and transcription. After training she was posted at New Orleans. She received an honorable discharge in 1946 after the war ended.
In 1946, she also enrolled at the University of Kansas City and studied accounting. Catherine met her husband, Lloyd "Mac" at college. They were married on October 25, 1947.

Their first child was born on October 13, 1948. Catherine had 11 more children over the next 19 years. Their last child was born on October 8, 1967. Family was very important to Catherine. Her children are a constant in her life.

Catherine has lived in seven states, Kansas, New York, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Kentucky, and Minnesota. She and Mac liked to take driving vacations; they often stopped to visit historical markers and small museums. They had a big adventure that Catherine thoroughly enjoyed. The GREAT TRAIN TRIP across much of the country in 1994. They started in Minnesota, went to Chicago, then through Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and back home. It was a month long tour that was exhausting and exciting.

Catherine enjoyed many different hobbies throughout her life. Her family always jokes that her number one hobby was shopping. She was very creative when she was a stay at home mother from 1948 to 1966. She did not drive, and earned extra money by doing day care and addressing envelopes at night.

After moving to Minnesota, Catherine started working full time and returned to driving again at age 54. She worked for the state of Minnesota for about 7 years and then started work for the US Post Office. Catherine retired in 1990 after 22 years of service.
Sewing – throughout the 50s and early 60s she made matching outfits for her 3 oldest girls every Christmas and Easter. She enjoyed sewing curtains and decorating many of the homes her family occupied.

Reading - Catherine was always a voracious reader of novels, magazines, biographies, how-to books, cookbooks and Reader's Digest was a favorite back in time. She was always ahead of her time because Catherine always encouraged her children to read from a young age. Many hot summer days were spent at the Big Stone Library in Kansas City. They would bring peanut butter sandwiches for a picnic lunch and everyone would read.

Upholstery – having a large family meant cutting corners wherever she could. Catherine shopped estate and garage sales and thrift stores for unusable furniture that was being discarded. She enjoyed giving those pieces new life. During those excursions she started collecting porcelain and china coffee cups. Her children noticed that she brought a few crystal bells, and began to buy them for her as gifts. She eventually had to purchase two display cabinets to house them all.