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Catharyne Ludwig
CATHARYNE E. LUDWIG
Marion
Catharyne E. Ludwig, 89, of Marion, formerly of Mount Pleasant, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, at her daughter's home in Vinton, with family by her side.
A funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 1, at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant, with the Rev. Paul Connolly, celebrant. The family will greet friends one hour before the service starting at 9:30 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at Calvary Cemetery, Milford.
Gifts of love and friendship may be given to the family for a charity to be determined at a later date.
Online condolences may be directed to www.olsonpowell.com.
Born Sept. 29, 1927, in West Union, Iowa, Catharyne Esther "Katie" was the daughter of Henry C. and Arlie M. Butler Bemiss. She was a 1945 graduate of West Union High School. Following high school, Katie became clerk of court for Fayette County. On Nov. 11, 1949, Katie married Virgil E. Ludwig in West Union. The couple moved to Pocahontas, Iowa, in 1952, and then Spirit Lake in 1957. Virgil preceded her in death on June 23, 1984.
A devoted wife and mother, Katie's highest priority was raising her children. In 1979, when her children were older, Katie became a clerk at Evans Clothing in Spirit Lake for many years, retiring in 1994. In 2001, she moved to Mount Pleasant before moving to Marion in 2013 to be near family.
Katie was a member of the Presbyterian Church in West Union, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Spirit Lake and St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant. She belonged to Catholic Daughters and Music Club while living in Spirit Lake.
Those who have shared in Katie's life include four daughters, Rebecca (Kevin Oehler) Landau of Denver, Colo., Judith Kuyper of Mountain Home, Texas, Carol Smith of Hot Springs Village, Ark., and Cathy (Greg) Flanagan of Vinton; two sons, Joseph Ludwig of Austin, Texas, and Dean Ludwig of Burnsville, Minn.; 14 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Along with her husband, Katie was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, George Bemiss, Robert Bemiss and Calvin Bemiss; and four sisters, Eva Hansen, Norma Falb, Eleanor Whitney and Dora Haeder.
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