Coleman, LaVerna Kathryn 'Katie'

LaVerna Kathryn "Katie" Coleman, 84, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Sept. 13 2011, surrounded by her family, at the Monticello Care Center. Her Funeral Mass, celebrating her life, will be at St. John's Catholic Church in Coggon at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, by Father Wayne Droessler. Family and friends are invited to come and share your “Katie” stories at her wake from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Murdoch Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Central City. There will be a Scripture service at 4 p.m. Burial: Mount Olivet Cemetery, Coggon.

Katie is survived by her husband of 57 years, Bernard; her four children, Becky (Bob) Basham, Donnie (Linda) Burke, Dave (Ann) Coleman and Sandy (Doug) Winn; grandchildren, Denise (Skip) Basham, Jason (Jennifer) Basham, Christina Steen, Tim (Gina), Tom (Mindy) and Travis (Cassie) Burke, Trisha (Nick) Putman, Martha and Daniel Coleman, Luke Winn and Jared (Kylee) Winn; great-grandchildren, Ryan, Jeremy, Bailee, Tiara, Kalinda, M'Lynn, Sadie, Cadynce, Mackenzie, Macoy, Christopher, Ella, Nolan, Kaden, Elizabeth, and three on the way; siblings, Leona Mulvaney, Gladys Woods, Bernadine Coleman and Bob (Pam) Klima; sister-in-law, Betty Klima; cousins; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Katie was born May 6, 1927, the daughter of Ed and Mary (Barta) Klima, in Center Point, Iowa. She worked at North-Linn School as a cook for 20 years, retiring in 1989, while doing the truck gardening and going to the city market in Cedar Rapids for over 54 years. There she sold her famous pies and sugar cookies, fresh produce, homemade noodles, chickens, and canned goods. Her zest for life shone through with her love for baking, canning, playing cards, ceramics, fishing, mushroom hunting, dancing, gambling, but most especially, spending time with her loving husband and family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and brothers, Leo, Mike and Bill Klima.

Please sign the online guest book for Katie at  under obituaries.

Published in The Gazette on Sept. 15, 2011