Catherine Bader

CATHERINE O'CONNELL BADER

Cedar Rapids

Catherine Patricia Bader, 92, of Cedar Rapids, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, at the Dennis and

Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. Visitation will be held Friday, Dec. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home, with a vigil service starting at 4 p.m. Funeral services will be Saturday, Dec. 16, at noon at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, 1224 Fifth St. SE, by Deacon Robert Hurych. The inurnment will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery.

Catherine was born Feb 28, 1925, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to John Joseph (Jack) and Julia Scanlon O'Connell. She was baptized and proudly attended school at Immaculate Conception and Mount Mercy College. She married Ralph Bader on May 17, 1947. United in their strong Catholic faith, they brought nine children into the world, lovingly building a life together before his unexpected death in 1969.

Catherine was a talented pianist, instilling the love of music in all her children. She was a skilled seamstress and the original "fixer-upper," finding hidden treasures at garage sales to be repurposed as classics in her home. Always eager to master new skills, she took classes to reupholster, refinish and recane furniture. She loved to travel, exploring regions across the U.S. to see family and friends.

Catherine was fiercely proud of her Irish heritage, traveling several times to Ireland with her siblings and children to see treasured relatives and enjoy the beauty of the Isle. She stressed the importance of family to her children and was extremely proud of the close bond they formed around her. Widowed at an early age, her strength and devotion were key in raising nine children on her own. She considered that her primary career, although she later served many years as an administrative assistant to Dr. Cecilia Kurtz and Dows Real Estate.

She is survived by her children: Tom (Marilyn) Bader, Beaverton, Ore.; Christine (Keith) Sands and John Kevin (Ann) Bader; both of Cedar Rapids; Lisa (Tom) Swanson of Davenport; Bob (Irma) Bader, San Rafael, Calif,; Dave (Marcy) Bader, Cedar Rapids; Mike Bader, Missoula, Mont.; Mary (Steve) Kray, Cedar Rapids; and Carol Bader, San Diego, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph; brother, John O'Connell; sisters, Agnes Case and Winifred Matejka; and daughter-in-law, Julie Madalon.

The family would like to thank Dr. Mary Ann Nelson and the staff at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House and Hiawatha Care Center for their care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House or your favorite charity.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.