Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin:
Former Paulding County resident, M. Catherine “Cate” Gary Hart, age 98 died Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the Hope Hospice Center.
Cate was born to Charles A. and Glenna (Carpenter) Welsh on October 6, 1915 on an Oakwood, Ohio, farm near the Paulding-Putnam county line. She graduated from the Oakwood High School as Valedictorian in 1933, which was the year during the Great Depression when the banks closed and school was dismissed in April.
In 1937 she married Eugene Gary and had three children: Jane Volk of Jackson, Michigan, Bette Lindman of Alto, Wisconsin, and Kirk Gary of Houston, Texas who all survive.
In 1960 Gene and Cate were hired by the County Commissioners to co-manage the County Home where they stayed until 1969. She was hired by Maremont Corporation (Grizzly) as an Industrial Nurse and was employed there until 1972. Cate, then, was employed by Paulding County Social Services to administer the Child Support Program where she retired in 1983. While working for Grizzly and Social Services she also continued her education at Defiance College, worked part time for Ankney Insurance and performed physicals for various companies. In 1990 she bought apartments in Payne, Ohio, which she remodeled, managed and resided in until she married Ray Hart, who preceded her in death in February 1996.
Cate was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church where she sang in the choir and taught Sunday school, a member of the Bayview Reading Club, the Paulding Grange and the Ohio County Home Associate. She was an excellent cook and liked to entertain, play Scrabble, enjoyed traveling, and reading. She was a wonderful storyteller who entertained her children and grandchildren. In 2002 she moved to be near her daughter, Bette Lindman, where she remained the rest of her life.
She is survived by her three children; 10 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; and 2 great great grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Ray Hart; her sisters, Vanda Utterback and Helen Keck; brothers, Glenn Welsh and Chuck Welsh; and a grandson, Eric Johnson.
Funeral services will be conducted 11AM Monday, November 25 at The First Presbyterian Church, Paulding, with Rev. David Meriwether officiating. Burial will follow in Live Oak Cemetery, Paulding.
Visitation will be 5 – 8PM Sunday, November 24 at Den Herder Funeral Home, Paulding, and one hour prior to services on Monday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Online condolences may be sent to www.denherderfh.com
