Catherine Burkholder
Catherine N. Burkholder, 87, died March 4, 2004, at St. Luke Living Center, Marion.
Born Aug. 27, 1916, at Gardiner, N.M., she was the daughter of James and Kate (Fruechting) Burkholder.
As a young child she moved with her parents to the Aulne community where she attended grade school. She graduated from Marion High School in 1934. She went on to Emporia State Teachers College and graduated in 1939 with a bachelor of science degree.
Her first teaching job was in Richfield. She spent three years teaching business-related courses and adult typing and shorthand.
While in her third year of teaching during World War II, she took a civil service examination and joined the Civil Service Corps. Her first war-related civil service job was in Chicago for the Chicago Quartermaster Depot as an accounting clerk.
After four years in Chicago she resigned and accepted a teaching position near Pittsburg for two months. She went to work as the chief accountant at the Institute of Logopedics in Wichita. During this time she took courses in speech therapy and received certification.
She moved to Washington, D.C., to live with her sister, Edna, and worked with the Traveler's Aid Society. After four years she went to work for the government in Army-related jobs as a civilian. She advanced to grade 13 with the Civil Service and became a supervisory accountant for the U.S. Army in the medical department with the Surgeon General as her boss. This job required traveling and visiting Army hospitals, including a trip to Panama.
In 1973 Catherine was transferred by the Surgeon General's office to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, as a chief accountant in the comptroller's office. She retired in 1984 after completing 30 years employment. In July 1999, she moved to Marion.
She and her sister, Edna, enjoyed traveling together and visited Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands. A highlight of their travels was the famous passion play in Obermmergau, Germany, in 1980.
She was active in the Order of the Eastern Star and through election, earned the title of Worthy Matron. She was baptized as a baby at Aulne United Methodist Church and became a member of Valley United Methodist Church. At the time of her death she was a member of St. Andrew's Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her parents and sisters, Edna and Florence. Survivors include several Fruechting and Burkholder cousins.
A memorial service and inurnment will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Claney Cemetery with the Rev. Carl Helm officiating.
Memorials in her memory will be applied to the J.L. Fruechting Scholarship Fund at Marion High School.
