Katherine Mae Dodge

Katherine Mae Dodge joined her family on March 1st, 1921. What an exciting time! America had just won the Great War with its European Allies, and her family shared the hopes of a nation looking for a ‘Return to Normalcy’ after the War to End All Wars. Little did anyone know, but the times they were a changing and before much longer, she’d be tested as never before – As the eldest daughter in a family of three boys and two girls, Kate soon became the ‘Second Mom’ in a busy household – Her father, Robert Roy Walker, and mother, Florence Grace Walker, were raising their family in the tiny Southeastern Missouri town of Chaffee. Florence and Robert had moved back to Chaffee years earlier from Shreveport, Louisiana. What would soon be called the Great Depression brought a shocking end to America’s Roaring Twenties. Although living in a rural community surrounded by fertile farmland, the family knew hardship in these days and Kate grew into her teen years learning to make every nickel count (and the pennies twice.) Always close behind was her younger sister, Laura, born in 1927. The sons, Ralph, Charles (called ‘Doc’ by many), and Robert Junior helped with chores around the house when their father, a railroad employee, stuck by the union through a bitter strike that would eventually be broken, sending hundreds of fathers like him into unemployment. Always resourceful, Robert worked as a carpenter and in handyman roles until he died following a work accident on the crew building what would one day be revealed as America’s ‘Manhattan Project’ to harness the power of the atom. America was shaken to its core by the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that propel led the nation into WWII and eventually shaped the balance of her life’s course. While America struggled to throw off the shackles of economic hard times and defeat Axis Powers as well as the Empire of Japan, Kate headed off to join America’s workforce. She met and fell in love with Willis Brown Dodge, son of a local businessman, who would like so many young men his age headed off to fight for his nation and free people across the globe. Bill’s wartime journey led him into the US Army and to the battlefields of Europe including the D-Day invasion—he landed on Omaha Beach, and eventually into War College. Meanwhile, Kate worked in defense plants supporting America’s war effort like so many women across America – She waited for her young officer to come home; they were married in 1945—two months after Bill became a commissioned officer. Bill continued to serve his country, which led him to the Korean Peninsula where he was felled by advancing Communist forces in 1951. Grievously wounded in the head, Bill was thought dead and left on the battlefield. Only through happenstance and the thoughtful attention of an Army media was he brought into a far-forward MASH unit where surgeons stitched him back together, leaving his recovery in the hands of God, for the doctors would later remark that it was truly a miracle that Bill recovered – A long convalescence followed, but Bill regained strength with Kate and other family members at his side. What were then the ‘new’ sciences of speech pathology and physical therapy helped him regain his ability to walk, talk and function. Yet he carried wounds that would shape his life until his passing. Kate and Bill later moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked in the office of ACF Industries and Kate moved up through the insurance industry, eventually managing an office for a company owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Bill’s brother, Jay Dodge, stayed in the military, eventually rising to the rank of Colonel in the US Air Force, commanding strategic bomber forces. Bill’s brother John Dodge became a medical doctor. Kate’s independence, resilience, skill and determination led to her success in business. Her razor wit, love of family and devotion to her Church were well known in the community of Manchester, Missouri, where she and Bill lived until the mid-1980s. Kate’s beloved husband preceded her in death in 1985. She moved back to Southeastern Missouri to be closer to her sister Laura who was at the time caring for their ailing mother, making her home in Cape Girardeau until their mother passed away in 1988. Kate settled in Leesburg, Florida in 1995, following her sister to the Sunshine State after Laura moved there in 1993. Laura preceded her sister in death in 2005; their brother Ralph Walker, a successful South Florida home builder, died less than a month after his sister Laura. Ralph is survived by his wife, Ellen Virginia Walker, who resides in South Florida. Kate lived by herself until 2008, moving into assisted living facilities in Clermont, Florida and later in Eustis, Florida. Also preceding Kate in death were her brothers, Robert Walker, and Charles ‘Doc’ Walker, who also made a career in US Air Force service, first as an active-duty member and later as a civilian electrician. Kate is survived by her nephew, Mark Walker Slingluff-Andrews, and his wife, Vicki Slingluff-Andrews, and their daughter Natasha Lewis-Grinwis, as well as Natasha’s spouse, Kris Lewis -Grinwis. Kate is also survived by her nice, Debbie Ann Heatherly, husband Larry Heatherly, and children, Lauren Rhodes, Amy Heathery and Joshua Heatherly. Kate is also survived by her brother-in-law, John Dodge. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Evelyn Walker, niece Kathy Walker, nephew Robert Walker and his Wife, Kim Walker. Kate’s paternal grandparents were William Amos Walker and Antoinette Mae Walker. Her maternal grandparents were Robert Grayam and Sara Katherine Slinkard. Kate joined Heaven’s eternal choir on 20th January 2012. She sings the praises of her Savior for all the ages. Arrangements under the direction of Woodlawn Memorial Park & Funeral Home, Gotha, FL.