Catharine C Patrick

Catharine Elizabeth Clodfelter Patrick

August 8th, 1923-October 13, 2017

What does it mean to be born in 1923, in Roanoke, Virginia to a strapping tall, slightly red-haired mechanical engineer named Henry Clodfelter and a fetching, flapper-like Salem Academy bride named Clara Redwine?

It means that you are their second born child and that you are named Catharine Elizabeth and you are a rich blend of your dependable, competent father and your joyful, spirited mother. It means your Christian faith is centered in your core.

What does it mean to be living in the South, in Greensboro, North Carolina, in the 1930’s during the Great Depression?

It means you and your 3 siblings (Henrietta, Bob, & David) are proud of your dad as he continues to be employed with Carolina Steel. It means you move from the City of Greensboro to the rural areas of Guilford. It means that you play one of the only two school sports offered to girls – basketball or soccer. You pick basketball and you are pretty good. It means that your Saturday allowance is 25 cents and your sister Henrietta and girlfriend Donie are off to the biggest theater in Greensboro, the National, for a 10 cent movie consisting of: a newsreel, a cartoon, a comedy, the latest segment of “The Shadow”, a Stage Show, and finally the 1st run feature presentation. You spend 5 cents for a hotdog lunch, 5 cents for Coca-Cola, Cheer Wine, or an ice cream sandwich, and 5 cents for a bag of candy that you share. It means you value saving money. It means you start your college days at the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina as a “Town Student” and that after your first year you transfer to James Madison University located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and major in Home Economics.

What does it mean to be a young adult in the 1940’s during World War II?

It means that you are sitting around a radio to hear President Roosevelt decry the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. It means you have a brother and sister who enlist and serve in the Navy. It means that years later in August of 1945 you rejoice when you hear, “It’s Over”. It’s VJ Day. It means that you graduate from James Madison in 1946 and move to St. Petersburg, Florida to join friends. You teach Home Economics at St. Petersburg Senior High and become friends with Kathleen Patrick, the school secretary. She introduces you to her brother, “Pat”; who has returned home after the war and the rest is history,

On August 2nd, 1947, you wed John W.W. Patrick, honeymooned in Niagara Falls and moved to a small Florida town, Trenton, to teach while your husband attended the University of Florida. You soon become pregnant with your first child, John Henry, a.k.a. “Hank” and moved into U of F’s Flavet Village. (Glorious university housing!)

What does it mean to be married and have a family in the 50’s & 60’s?

After Pat’s graduation, your young family moved back to St. Petersburg and your family continued to grow… Frances… and grow… David… and grow… Maureen! You lived on 46th Avenue in the house that you and Pat had built and later expanded. It means you thought you were high tech when you got your first black and white TV. During your children’s formative years, you cooked, cleaned, sewed, chauffeured, served as PTA mom and President, Girl Scout Leader, Sunday School teacher, etc. You were an active charter member of the Trinity Evangelical & Reformed Church. During the mid 60’s you became a working mom and went back to work teaching and working for Job Corp. A couple of years later, during the historic Florida, statewide teacher “Walk Out”, your “highly principled” husband walked out. Your family relocated to Tallahassee in the summer of 1968 and you bloomed in your new setting. In addition to supporting your family at home, you became an active member of your church community, serving as Woman’s Circle member and officer, elder at First Presby, President of Presbytery’s Women of the Church. You also become involved as a Garden Club member and officer. It means you spend vacations with family, nurturing the relationships you care about most. It means your children attend some of the first integrated public schools. It means you have children spanning from elementary school to college. It means your hair do’s include wiglets, perms, and bouffants.

What does it mean to be 50 in the 1970’s?

It means that you say goodbye to your mother, Clara. It means that you see your children begin to graduate from college and get married. It means your family expands to include daughter-in-laws and son-in-laws and to celebrate the arrival of your first adorable, strawberry blonde grandchild, “Carey”. It means that you are still collecting fabric. It means you enjoy all of your arts and crafts, and making cloth Christmas ornaments for your grandchildren.

What does it mean to be 60 in the 1980’s?

It means your husband has a couple of near-death experiences. It means your husband retires and you begin to travel the states in your airstream trailer. It means you survive the “separation anxiety” of having the trailer disconnect and land on top of the railroad tracks! It means you continue to learn by attending numerous elder hostiles and trying to embrace the language of the personal computer. It means that you say goodbye to your father, Henry. It means that you take on the challenge and joy of building a second home in Sparta, North Carolina. It means you & your husband enjoy many beautiful seasons on the Blue Ridge. It means that you experience the joy of twin granddaughters, Molly & Rebecca, followed by “It’s a Boy” 5 times (John, Patrick, Brian, Kendall, and Eric)! It means you travel abroad to Greece with your sister. It means you get a chuckle when she draws a picture of a bladder for a local doctor.

What does it mean to be 70 in the 1990’s?

It means you enjoy traveling to see grandchildren, painting rocks, throwing rocks in the creek, hiking to the waterfall, making doll clothes and basket weaving. It means that they love you dearly. It means you join the Sparta Art Club once a week at the back of the firehouse while in North Carolina and monthly circle and garden club meetings while in Tally. It means you make many wonderful friends wherever you go. It means to say goodbye to your beloved spouse of 52 years.

What does it mean to be in your 80’s and 90’s in the 21st century?

It means you are an octogenarian of the first order. It means that you collect shells and build sandcastles at the beach with your grandchildren. It means that you still enjoy going to the movies and spending the holidays with family. It means that with age some goodbyes increase, and you say goodbye to your sister and kindred spirit, Henrietta, and first born child, Hank, within months of each other. It means that you experience the mother – daughter – bonding experience of suffering from itch mites. It means that you start to see your grandchildren graduate from high school and college. It means that you see several of them get married and the christening of your first great grandchild, Michael Henry, aka Hank, followed by your second and third great grandchildren, Alani and Alex. In so many ways, you have reaped what you sewed. And what you sewed so long ago were good seeds. You have accepted every happiness with gratitude and weathered all storms with faith. Mom lived her life full of love, compassion, and dignity. We will all miss her dearly.

-Inspired by a “What it Means…” story written by Mary Lucke Summers for Aunt Hen’s 80th birthday. This version was written for Catharine by Frances Patrick Garvin. Special thanks to Mary for sharing!