Catherine Marie Zolnowski

Catherine (Cathie) Rutte Waggener Zolnowski, 78, died February 19, 2014 following a fall on ice 6 days earlier. The Mass of Christian Burial, with Reverend Greg Haskamp presiding, is 10:30 AM Tuesday, February 25th at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 18601 N 169 Hwy, Smithville, MO, 64089, where a visitation will begin at 9:00 AM. Immediately following Mass all are invited to a luncheon provided by the ladies of the parish. Private burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Kansas City, MO. Contributions may be sent to Avila University Nursing Program, 11901 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145 or to the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ)Development Fund (same address as Avila University) to assist with their many health care facilities, school and community services for people in need, or to a charity of choice.

Cathie, and an identical twin (Helen), were born December 4, 1935 at Fort Snelling, MN. Their father, Louis, a career army officer, and mother, Lucile, had 8 children including two sets of twins. Only one brother, Robert, a West Point graduate and Thunderbird pilot precedes her in death, caused by a plane crash when he was 28 years of age. Cathie grew up moving from multiple states-Minnesota, Wisconsin, Georgia, California-and Tokyo, Japan. At an early age she and her twin chose nursing as a vocation in life. The pathways around that vocation changed in time but their goal always remained service of the Lord. In 1954 Cathie and her twin entered the religious order of the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet. There, on the earlier campus of Avila University, she completed her nursing degree. She gave 4 years in St. Louis in medical-surgical nursing at St. Joseph Hospital, Kirkwood, MO, prior to moving on to a Master’s in Nursing program at the University of California, San Francisco, CA. From then her teaching and clinical years included pediatrics and maternal-child nursing and later a nurse-midwifery program. Her nursing included clinical, administration, teaching, and parent-child educational groups. Locally she taught at Avila University and Graceland College’s Nursing Programs. Added later was her work with an OSHA program for a Platte County Animal Hospital as her love expanded to animal rescue and care. After 15 years with the religious order for women (CSJ), she left and continued her career.

Marriage to Dr. Robert R. Waggener brought two children, Julie W. (Brian) Parks and Michelle W. (John) O’Rourke. Dr. Waggener died in 1986 while they were young. Julie is a professional nurse and Michelle just completed her Doctorate Degree in Newcastle, England. Cathie later married Richard Zolnowski. His closest family members in the Kansas City area include Joann (Thomas) Day and their 3 children and two grandchildren. Richard’s family originally remained in the northeast, the state of Massachusetts, where other family members reside. Additional family members in this area are Cathie’s identical sister, Helen, and her husband, Dr. Jan Stefanov. One daughter, Julie and husband, Brian Parks and their two young children also reside here.