Celebrating the Life of …

Kathryn Ann Steger Walterscheid

Katie was born in January of 1935 at Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri, the third daughter to parents, Edward and Julia (Fiscko) Steger, and baby sister to Dolores and Joan. Katie was raised in South Saint Louis, and as a child slept on beer crates in her parents’ flat above the family tavern on Michigan Avenue. Tavern patrons knew her as “Peanut,” and others knew her by Kay, Kati, or Kathryn. She attended both Saint Anthony’s and Saint Cecilia’s Catholic grade schools and graduated from Cleveland High School. A woman of many talents, she got her first job at age 13 at a local dime store. Later she worked at the Granada movie theatre, where she may have developed her passion for popcorn. She also did some modeling, managed an Orthodontic office, helped run a trucking company with her husband Jerry, and was a Contract Administrator for an aeronautics industry supplier. She married Jerome Walterscheid in 1956 at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Kimmswick, the church where her parents had been married. Leaving their starter home in Florissant, Katie and Jerry moved to a beautiful spot under the stars next to a sprawling cherry tree on family property in Imperial, Missouri. They were active with their parish, Saint Joseph’s, volunteering to help with everything from the annual picnic to the food pantry to the Parish Renewal Program. A passionate reader, Katie worked every Friday as a volunteer librarian for Saint Joseph’s grade school. She read every book in the library before it was offered to the students, and she became known as the “Library Lady.

Katie and Jerry had three daughters, Kimberly, Melaney and Kathryn. Katie encouraged her girls in every way, giving them confidence, cheer and unconditional love. She filled the house with happy sounds: from her ready laughter to the Broadway hits playing on her record player to the music she played on her hammered dulcimer. She led messy art projects and outdoor activities and encouraged her daughters to play the flute. She made everything fun, even house cleaning. Katie’s innate curiosity and love for learning taught her children to value education, leading to one great disappointment: her daughters refused to stay home from school to play with her. She never yelled when her children accidentally broke things. First she would ask, “Did you get hurt?” Then she would say, “Don’t worry, people are more important than things.”

Despite her soft heart, Katie was fiercely competitive, and a game of canasta, bridge or Boggle would bring a gleam to her eye. She gave the best advice, such as “it’s not a vacation until you have an ice cream cone” and “you need to learn to relax.”

Katie always made time for people. She was so happy to expand her family with three sons-in-law, and she quickly became quite attached to them. Augusto, Ron and Steve promptly learned to wear pink for family events. News that grandchildren were expected put Katie’s joy over the top. Maria, Luca and “angel” Sammy became important features of her refrigerator decoration, her iPad, her prayers and almost every conversation. Through the years, she “adopted” many daughters, and their photos were displayed on the refrigerator, too. She loved animals, from her Great Danes to the deer in the backyard. Everyone was welcome at her home, for dinner, for lunch, for breakfast, for overnight, for a week, for comforting, for praying or for laughing …

Katie is most remembered for her joyful and loving heart. She was sunshine in everyone’s lives. Her optimistic attitude was challenged by the death of many loved ones, including her husband Jerry, who died in 2000. Precarious health threatened to limit her, but her faith, her determination and her intense will to live and to love helped her recover from major setbacks, despite the odds; she remained perky, cheerful and fun. She was always planning a party, or three parties. Her favorite was the Christmas Songfest, which combined her faith, family, friends, singing, and fun. And Katie was the Queen of Pink, everything pink!

Katie received her angel wings and entered heaven’s gates on March 26, 2018. No doubt she is now the party planner for Heaven, with her first priority planning an event for angel Sammy Walterscheid Chunn. Her prayer list was long, and she is now closer to God’s ear. Her family and friends feel blessed and rich beyond measure to have had the great gift of her all these years. She lives on in all of us in her spirit, strength and joy.

She leaves behind a loving family, daughters Kimberly Walterscheid, Melaney Walterscheid and Kathryn Walterscheid; sons-in-law Augusto Calderoni, Ron Chunn and Steven C. Hause; grandchildren Maria Calderoni and Luca Calderoni; sisters Dolores Mabery and Joan Kennedy; the life-long friend she met when they were both newborns in the nursery at Saint Anthony’s Hospital, Carol Breitweiser; and many, many wonderful cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Katie’s family would like to thank the many people who helped Katie: doctors, nurses, therapists, caregivers, friends, family and all the people who treated her with great respect and kindness.

A celebration of Katie’s long and full life will be on Saturday April 14, 2018, with visitation at 9:00 am and funeral Mass at 10:30 am at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Imperial Missouri, with a luncheon provided by the Ladies of Saint Joseph’s in the school cafeteria afterwards. Feel free to wear pink or a joyful color. There will be a private burial at a later date.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Saint Joseph’s Parish at 6020 Old Antonia Road, Imperial, Missouri, 63052.