116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Catherine M. Ralston
Catherine M. Ralston
Cedar Rapids
Catherine M. Ralston, 92, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at St. Luke’s Living Center West. The Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Saint Ludmila Catholic Church by Father Ken Glaser. Burial will be at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Papich-Kuba Funeral Home East, 1228 Second St. SE, and after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church. A rosary begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
She was born Dec. 16, 1930, at Monti, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Mary (Heffernen) Gaffney. Catherine graduated in 1948 from Coggon High School. In Cedar Rapids, she worked many years for MeToo and later Sun Mart Grocery Store. Catherine married Lloyd Ralston on Oct. 7, 1950, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids. Together they had one son. Catherine was a longtime member of Saint Ludmila’s Church.
Survivors include her son, Randy (Carole); grandsons, Casey (Erin) and Kevin; brother, Vince Gaffney; sister-in-law, Janet Gaffney; and many loving nieces and nephews.
Catherine was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd “Blackie”, on Aug. 24, 1993; her parents; sister, Rita (Harland) Brown; brother, Charles Gaffney; sister-in-law, Jodi Gaffney; and her special friend, Billy Wilson.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the family.
Daily Newsletters