Kathleen “Kate”
(Parry) Morris, of Chesterton, Ind., passed away peacefully on February 3,
2014, from lung cancer.
She was born in
Valparaiso, Ind., on December 21, 1937 to David and Setta Parry.
Kate graduated from
Chesterton High School in 1956. She was married to Roger Morris for more
than 56 years.
Kate is survived by
her husband, Roger; children, Roger Alan (Jianing) Morris of Bloomington,
Ind., and Ruth A. (Ralph) Johnston of Valparaiso, Ind.; grandchildren Lia
Morris, Lena Morris, Roger Morris, Jr., Evan Johnston, Andy Morris, and
Zachary Johnston; sister, Jeanine Harris of Porter, Ind., sister-in-law,
Patricia Parry of Michigan City, Ind., and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in
death by her firstborn son, Roger Charles, Jr. in 1958; her father, David,
in 1974; her mother, Setta, in 1996; and her brother, David, in 2011.
One of her fondest
childhood memories was living at the Indiana Dunes State Park in the 1950s
when her father was the site supervisor. She loved to explore the dunes and
the newly created trails, and enjoyed watching artist Frank Dudley paint
magnificent scenes. She continued to celebrate her love of the dunes
throughout her life.
Always nurturing
and serving others, she was a Deacon at St. John’s United Church in
Chesterton. She worked at Lowenstine’s and Ray’s Tots to Teens, spent many
years as a stay at home mom, worked as a secretary for her father’s real
estate business, served as a Girl Scout leader, was a cashier at Hooks’
Drugs in Chesterton, was a nursing home activity director, and has been the
caregiver for numerous family members throughout her life. She spent a
considerable amount of time at the Duneland Resale Shop in its early days,
sorting and pricing merchandise.
A memorial service
will be held on Friday, February 21, at 6:00 p.m. with visitation beginning
at 4 p.m. at St. John’s United Church in Chesterton.