Obituary of Catherine Ekelin

Catherine F. Ekelin, passed away February 18, 2010 at Pacific Coast Care in Salinas, CA. She was born on April 6, 1916 in Haskell County Texas to James and Lou Rochester. Known to her friends and family as Kay, she was the second youngest of twelve children. Her family moved to Caifornia when she was a young girl. She attended grammar school in Sprekles, CA and high school in Brawley, CA. In 1935, she met and married Harry A. Ekelin in Salinas. They had three children, Ingrid, Julie, and Ernest. They were both active in Salinas; Harry running a construction business and Kay as a homemaker and volunteer. After the death of her husband, 1981, Kay decided to return to school. She attended Monterey Peninsula College and then transferred to the University of Calfornia of Santa Cruz. She received her B.A. degree in American Studies at the age of seventy-five. In addition to her devotion to her family, Kay had a life-long love of reading, art and travel. Her paintings, both oils and watercolors, have places of honor in the homes of her daughter and grandchildren. She and Harry traveled extensively in the United States, Canada and Europe, visiting Harry's birthplace and relatives in Goteborg, Sweden. They enjoyed playing golf through out their travels. In her quest for learning, Kay traveled twice to Israel, studying for several months at Ulpan, Akiva. She later spent a month at an Ashram in Northern India She is survived by her daugther and son-in-law, Julie and Gerald Oehler, her grandchildren, Sunnie Houle, Kristi Munro, Edward Briggs, Harry Briggs, Eric Moelter, Gregory Oehler and step grandchildren, Tyrone Oehler, Sheri Pascho, Douglas Oehler and Teri Hicks. She is also survived by sixteen great-grandchildren, one great-greatdaughter. She will be fondly remembered by her numerous nieces and nephews and their families. Kay was preceded in death by her siblings, as well as her husband, Harry, her son, Ernest Ekelin, her daughter, Ingrid Edmonds, and great-grandson, Nolan Houle. At her request, no services will be held.