Ada Catherman, 97, of Oskaloosa, passed away Tuesday, February 26, 2019, at the Mahaska Health Serenity Hospice House in Oskaloosa. Ada May Catherman, daughter of Charles and Alice May (Bachman) Rath, was born April 23, 1921, in Montezuma, Iowa. She attended school in Montezuma through the 11th grade.
Her father was a truck farmer, and the family raised vegetables and produce to be sold at area grocery stores and to individuals. As a youngster and a teenager, Ada spent countless hours in the fields, planting, weeding and harvesting, often while watching her younger siblings. She earned money for shoes and school supplies by selling wild berries she had picked.
Ada married Trevlin Orin (T.O.) Catherman, January 2, 1939, in Oskaloosa. They soon purchased a farm near Searsboro, and her two children were born while living there. In 1944, they moved to New Sharon where T.O. operated scrap metal salvage until 1947 when he started Catherman Construction.
In 1949, they moved to Oskaloosa where they continued operating the business. T.O. passed away in 2007, and their son, Jim, continued in the business. Ada assisted her husband and her son in their endeavors by serving as their bookkeepers.
Ada was the definition of HOME. She maintained the gardening skills she had learned from her father and raised a large garden of vegetables and flowers for many years. Ada always had a pet of some kind, and she doted on her chickens.
She shared her love by serving beautifully prepared meals and homemade pies. Ada was a very welcoming mother to all who visited; her children’s friends also enjoyed her company. Her family was always her priority, and she invested her all in their welfare.
She credited her heavenly Father for the strength and love she so readily gave to all she encountered. In later years, Ada loved watching the wild birds and reading. Ada was a past member of the Women’s Farm Bureau.
Her family includes her daughter and son-in-law, Treva and J.D. Fleener and a son, Jim Catherman, both of Oskaloosa; three grandchildren: John (Diane) Groves of New Sharon, Russell (Carol) Groves of Madison, WI, and Brandon (Laura) Fleener of Waukee; two step-grandchildren: John Fleener of Raleigh, NC, and Julie Fleener (Darrin) Homb of Dubuque; ten great-grandchildren: Luke, Emily, Nick, Quinn, Kieran, Tommy, Catie, Frankie, Abbie, and Norah; and a sister, Alice Daub of Boone. In addition to her parents, Ada was preceded in death by four brothers: Robert, Tim, William, and Harry Rath and three sisters: Mabel Catherman, Hazel Talbot, and Edith Niewald. As was her wish, Ada’s body has been cremated.
A graveside service will be held at a later date at Forest Cemetery. Langkamp Funeral Chapel & Crematory is handling the arrangements. Memorials can be made to the Mahaska Hospice Serenity House in care of the Mahaska Health Foundation or Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter.
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