- Date Of Birth: January 4, 1917
- Date Of Death: August 26, 2020
- State: Illinois
Katharine Louise (Phillips) Strohecker, age 103 of Freeport, IL passed away on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at Presence Saint Joseph Nursing Home.
She was born January 4, 1917; the daughter of the late Orin and Louise (Blindt) Phillips. In 1936 Katharine was married to Karl Strohecker, who passed away in 1981. On a small farm on Van Brocklin Road in Stephenson County, at the age of seven years old, she walked one quarter mile to Millerburg School, which is now the Stephenson County Historic Museum. At the age of ten, Katharine’s family moved to a farm along Dublin Road. Katharine once again walked to the nearest school for four years through native woodlands, and across pastures to get to the new Dublin school. Katharine often told her children how she picked raspberries when walking to school. She also loved birds and woodland wild flowers. She would often pick flowers for her teacher or her loving mother.
In 1936 she married Karl Strohecker and began farming. Also, in 1936 the first of four children were born. Karl and Katharine had many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. Katharine was always their best fan. She loved them all the same, and was always interested in their lives. Katharine loved to take Sunday trips to Iowa and Wisconsin to learn new things and find new places to eat. She also loved to go on fishing trips with her family. She was also an avid Chicago Cubs fan and collected Cubs memorabilia. Later in life she enjoyed watching birds that she fed, and growing flowers in her yard. She always enjoyed new births in the family, and of course the new mom and baby had to have a photo with their loving grandma. Katharine spent the last three years of her life in a nursing home, but that did not slow her down. She was always ready to go out on drives and out to eat. Losing her first born child, Margie was a blow to her, as well as to the whole family. She continued on until COVID19 restricted her to her room in the nursing home. Then her physical abilities were restrained and she showed signs of slowing down. She was very grateful to all visitors, right up to the time the Lord called her to join Him.
She is survived by children, Gerald (Carol) Strohecker, Gene (Lenny) Strohecker, and Dorothy Willhite; Grandchildren: Cindy (Arne) Swanson, Russ (Susan) Snyder, Rae Ann (Rick) Heeren, Connie (Joe) Gastel, Rick (Denise) Strohecker, Angie (Mike) Mayer, Tina Endress, and Tonya (Mike) Burke; eighteen great grandchildren; seven great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Karl; grandson, Joel Willhite; brother, Warren Phillips; daughter, Margie Snyder; son in law, Ken Willhite; and Grandson-in-law, Lynden Endress.