Obituary: Catherine (Pertzborn) Waters - Class of 1950

MADISON - Catherine (Pertzborn) Waters, age 82, died peacefully at Agrace HospiceCare on Monday, June 16, 2014, from a malignant brain tumor. She attended Central High School, graduating in 1950. Catherine met her future husband, H. James Waters, while in high school, and married him on June 16, 1951. In addition to raising a family of three, she was employed by Oscar Mayer and worked there as an administrative assistant for 31 years. After retirement, Cathy worked as parish secretary at St. Bernard Catholic Church, was a seasonal employee at American Girl and for the past ten years, job shared a secretarial position at Cherokee where she suddently had to retire because of her illness. Cathy belonged to Oscarettes and volunteered with the Oscar Mayer READI Group. She was also active in the church ministry. Cathy is survived by her three children, Mary Lou (John) Lottes, Mike (Barb) Waters and Bill (Sue) Waters; seven grandchildren, Kim (Pete) Lochner, Jenny (Aaron) Reason, Carrie (Eric )Schmidt, Amy Waters, Jim (Mallory) Waters, Stephanie Waters and Cody Bartow; and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by three sisters, Rachel Caruso, Alice (Jim) Wilcox and Barbara (Bill) Bougher; brother-in-law, Tom Jafferis; many nieces and nephews; and sisters-in-law, Pearl Frank and Marge Hoppman. Cathy was preceded in death by her parents, Adolph and Hedwig (Koch) Pertzborn; her husband, Jim Waters; and sisters, Margaret and Esther Pertzborn and Dorothy Jafferis. She was also preceded in death by a niece; a great-nephew; her in-laws, Louise and Dan Waters; five sisters-in-law; and seven brothers-in-law. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH, 2450 Atwood Ave., Madison, at 10 a.m., on Friday, June 20, 2014, with Father Michael Radowicz presiding. Burial will be held at Highland Memory Gardens. Visitation will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., on Thursday, June 19, 2014, and at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the service on Friday. Cathy was loved dearly and we already miss her.  

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on June 17, 2014. Submitted by Michael Vahldieck (Class of 1968)