Catherine Alexa Winfrey

CATHERINE ALEXA WINFREY

Cedar Rapids

Catherine Alexa Winfrey, 94, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in Bluff City, Tenn., on Sept. 9, 2020. As anyone can attest, she was someone who was loved by all who met her. Originally raised in Illinois, she knew the meaning of life and remarked that she had never been bored in her life. Walking in the woods with her was like walking in the woods with John Muir. Every plant was worth taking note of, every rock was a thing of beauty. Life was a thing of great beauty.

She was born in 1925 in Rock Island, Ill. She married Vernon Winfrey in 1947. They remained married until his death in 2014. They were hunter-gatherers and enjoyed gathering wild asparagus and the morel mushrooms which popped up every year on Mother's Day.

Together, they built a cabin on their 80 acres of virgin timber in northeastern Iowa. This shack had a cement floor because she knew she didn't want to waste time doing housework when the woods were calling.

She worked for many years in the Washington High School library, and many people of a certain age will remember her gentle admonishments to keep their voices down.

She is survived by her children, K.J. Kein of Belleair, Fla., Paula Winfrey of Bluff City, Tenn., Doug Winfrey of Parkman, Wyo., and Pamela Winfrey of Tempe, Ariz. We will miss her, for there are very few people on this planet who understand how to spend a day or how we should always treat each other. She never had a harsh word for anyone nor did she ever complain; if we could all be more like her.