Cathy Orrick Luders April 13, 1951 – January 11, 2019 Share this obituary Send Flowers View/Sign Guest Book| Send Sympathy Card Cathy Orrick Luders, 67, of Cedar Rapids, died Friday, January 11, 2019. Services will be on Tuesday, January 15 at 10:45 a.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids by Pastor Dan Wiersema and Pastor Ed George. Friends may call from 9:30 to 10:40 a.m. at the church.
Burial will be at a later date at Oakland Cemetery in Solon. Teahen Funeral Home is serving the family. Catherine Mae Orrick was born the eldest of two daughters on April 13, 1951 to Mae (Stoner) and A. Paul Orrick in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The family lived on a farm in southwest Cedar Rapids near Hunter Airport. Cathy graduated from Prairie High School in 1969. She received an A. A. degree in 1971 from Centerville (Iowa) Community College and a B.A. degree in journalism in 1974 from the University of Iowa.
After moving to northeast Missouri, she sold advertising at the Shelbina Democrat, a weekly newspaper; worked in a print shop and nursing home and later was a typesetter at Creative and Jost & Kiefer Printers in Quincy, IL. From 1979-1981, she became owner and publisher of a 300 circulation weekly, The LaGrange Communicator in LaGrange, MO. For the next six years she was employed at the Solon Economist and Traer Star-Clipper weeklies and the Iowa Press Citizen.
On July 20, 1987, Cathy was hired by the Gazette. Her primary responsibilities were that of obituary editor. She thought of her job as more than a job, more like a ministry and enjoyed visiting with the funeral directors and families that came through the door to place an obituary or in memory item for their loved ones.
After 30 years, 5 months and 11 days, Cathy retired on Dec. 31st 2017. In 1982, Cathy accepted the Lord as her personal Savior and became a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids.
She participated in the church choir, was church librarian and served as church historian for a decade or more. She served on the 50 year anniversary committee in 2009 and was instrumental in producing a history book. In 1988, Cathy met her husband to be and on April 27, 1991 she and James “Jim” Luders were married at Immanuel Baptist Church.
They renewed their vows in 2006 and celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2016 with a trip to the northeast U.S. and Prince Edward Island, Canada. In 2014, Cathy and Jim served at First Baptist Church, Dunkerton where Jim was interim pastor for eight months. In 2015, she took time off to deal with Jim’s cancer diagnosis and then returned to the pulpit later that year serving at Wilton Baptist Church, Wilton for over a year.
Since late November 2016, the couple have served at Lincoln Street Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant. Cathy and Jimmy enjoyed traveling and touring Civil War and presidential sites and visiting friends across the country. Counted among their favorite stomping grounds was Northeast Missouri.
Cathy enjoyed rollerskating when she was younger. She also enjoyed writing short stories and poetry, especially devotional poetry and pursue genealogy. She published two books of poetry, “The World of Being” in 1973 and “The Still Small Voice of God” in 2012.
She enjoyed Bible study. She and Jim hosted an open house every year at Christmas for family and friends. Cathy is survived by her husband, Jim; sister, Helen (Don) Snell of Fairfax; nephew, Jon Snell of New York City; an adopted family of the heart, Christina, Rocky and grandsons Austin Lee and James David Cook; a Netherland Dwarf bunny, Bandy Andy Bear; and many longtime friends and extended family.
She was preceded in death by her mother in 1996, her father in 1974, her grandfather in 1961 and her “adopted” mommy and very dear friend Anna Leeper in October 2018; and many furry, four-legged critters. Memorial may be directed to Immanuel Baptist Church. The family wishes to thank those who were so very helpful.
The 911 dispatcher, the Cedar Rapids Fire and ambulance service, the staff at St. Luke’s, both in the ER and the Intensive Care Unit.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
