“Well, that was fun!” Cathie Kelter would announce whenever she was ready to leave a family gathering– a signal that it was time to go home. On October 26, she left her family for the last time, a month shy of her 95th birthday. A fall and a stroke upended her plans to stay at home until the end.

Catherine J. Kelter was born on November 25, 1929, in Neligh, Nebraska, the youngest of Ed and Anne Wanek’s four children. She attended college at St. Mary’s in Omaha and later Creighton University, where she met her husband Don. They were married in 1952. Shortly afterward, Don was drafted and the newlyweds moved to California. After his discharge from the army, Don and Cathie left their hearts in San Francisco and moved back to Nebraska to raise their growing family, always hoping to one day return to the West Coast.

In 1971, Don accepted the position of administrator at the Hood River Memorial Hospital, and the family moved to Oregon. Cathie continued in her role as administrator of their seven children. When she wasn’t sewing, playing the piano, creating handmade cards, writing clever songs, helping with homework, or learning calligraphy, she and Don enjoyed hiking, Sunday drives, trips to the beach, square dancing, and spending time with family. One of her sons described the two as the Dynamic Duo, always there to love and support each other as well as their children and grandchildren and their spouses. After Don’s death in 2001, Cathie stepped up and assumed all the responsibilities of the Dynamic Duo. She was always there to listen, encourage, and offer reassurance, often accompanied by a glass of wine.

In 1985, Cathie opened the Wine Sellers, with help from her daughter Jean. For more than 25 years she offered wine, coffee, conversation, and warm welcomes to customers, family, and friends. After the Wine Sellers closed, Cathie found another outlet for her energy: already a Master Mother and Grandmother, she added Master Gardener and a Master Recycler to her list of accomplishments.

As her mobility became more limited and Cathie’s world grew smaller, her family brought the world to her in the form of daily visits, grocery shopping, meals, vacation photos, and an endless supply of jigsaw puzzles. She took special joy in “Thirsty Thursday” happy hours with grandchildren Jessica, Jon, and Carin. At the end of each visit, she would encourage them to “go do something fun.”

Hello, World!

Cathie will be greatly missed by her children and their spouses: Anne and Lou Gehrig, Mike and Vicki Kelter, Tom and Dana Kelter, Jim and Peggy Dills Kelter, Jean and Rick Dills, Maggie and Joe Pike, Bill and Amy Kelter, her grandchildren Jessica (Apland), Jon and Colin Gehrig, Kristina Green, Katie Soderberg, Nick and Pete Dills, Rose Kelter, Carin Pike, Hannah Vassar, 15 great-grandchildren, and all the others whose lives she touched. A private graveside service will be held at the Pine Grove Butte Cemetery, followed by a Celebration of Life.

The family would like to thank all those who cared for Cathie during her last few weeks of life, especially the staff at Parkhurst Place and Providence Hospice of the Gorge. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Hood River County Library, FISH Food Bank, or Providence Hospice of the Gorge.

Please consider honoring Cathie by sowing seeds of kindness and by being the reason that someone smiles each day. Then take her advice and go do something fun.

Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.