Cathleen Rose Walters

She worked at Kmart Distribution Center from 1974-1991. Kmart moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1991, and she did not want to relocate her family. Growing up, she had to change schools a lot because her father’s job required them to move often, and she always said she did not want to do that to her kids. Her family settled in Fort Wayne around 1964. After Kmart, she worked at PHD from 1993 until she retired in July of 2025. She worked in the IT Department and Security. She married Terry Welch on February 4, 1978, and then married Don Walters on October 15, 1999.

She loved crafting. She did a lot of sewing – mending/hemming clothes for people, made Halloween costumes, and was famous for her rag quilts. She also painted, cross-stitched, and crocheted, but her favorite thing to do for the past 10 years or so was make cards for people. She would spend a lot of time personalizing them for the person and occasion.

She loved to travel. Her sister and she took lots of cruises together; the Bahamas being their favorite place to cruise. She also went to Disney World so many times. The first time was in 1972, the year after it opened. After that visit, she was hooked. She took many family vacations with her kids and grandkids.

She is survived, by her sister, Colleen Southerland, of Fort Wayne; brother, Bill Clare, of Fort Wayne; son, Matt (Cara) Welch of Fort Wayne; daughter, Natalie (Mike) Smith, of Fort Wayne; grandchildren, JJ Welch and Maddie Welch, both of Fort Wayne, Michael Welch, of Terre Haute, IN, Ella Smith, of Indianapolis, IN, and Jacob Welch, Zoe Smith, Julia Welch, all of Fort Wayne.

A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes - Covington Knolls, 8325 Covington Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46804, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, with a Memorial Service to begin at 1:00 PM.