Katherine Graham Selman

Katherine Graham Selman, 76, of Romulus, Alabama, passed away on Friday, July 16, 2021, surrounded by family, at DCH Regional Medical Center, after a brief battle with Leukemia. Visitation will be Monday, July 19, 2021, from 6-8 p.m. Services will be Tuesday, July 20, 2021, at 11 a.m. at Memory Chapel Funeral Home with burial to follow in Memory Hill Garden.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Donny Ray Selman, Sr.; her parents; Lawrence O. “Buster” and Annice Barton Graham; and her brother, John Lawrence Graham.

She is survived by her daughter, Preasha Jordan Smith (Ronnie); her son, Logan Heath Jordan (Karla); Sisters, Dorothy Graham Gast and Mary Graham Burroughs (Morris); Sister-in-Law, Margaret Graham; grandchildren, Bradley Smith (Anna), Mariah Smith (Blane Jackson), Jesse Jordan, Emma Jordan, Zack Smith, and Jordan Smith, and Great Grandchildren, Kinley Smith, Mary Barton Smith, and Kanen Smith.

Pallbearers will be Bradley Smith, Zack Smith, Jordan Smith, Kyle Sampsell, KC Sampsell, Thomas Balakitsis, Blake Nelson, and Jerry Pruitt.

Katherine grew up in the Romulus community and graduated from Tuscaloosa County High School. She was beloved in her ability to make other people feel welcome, her kind and gentle spirit put everyone at ease. She was quick to volunteer to host small gatherings for soup and games to full family reunions. Her generosity could be seen by always going above and beyond to help anyone who crossed her path. She retired from BF Goodrich Tire Company after 30 years to take care of her husband after his stroke. She made many lifelong friends during her career. In her spare time, she could be found in her sewing room, making just about anything. Her handywork won state honors and her quilts will be forever treasured by those who received one. When she wasn’t sewing or quilting, she could be found outdoors, working in her flower beds that contained her cherished day lilies and irises. She also enjoyed gardening and sharing her bounty with family and friends. Her favorite times were spent sharing meals or adventures with her family and traveling, but nothing thrilled her more than spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Preasha and Heath would like to personally thank some very special people. Her sister, Dorothy, would bring flowers from the garden, spent time with her during her sickness keeping her company, playing cards, bringing her food and meeting her needs as best she could.

Her sister, Mary, sat with her at the hospital, brought her to her home and played cards, cooked, helped organize her brand new sewing room, helped with the move to her new house, helped with selling Mother’s computerized quilting machine and provided sisterly comfort.

Her niece, Marilyn, drove from Cullman countless times to help with Kathy’s move, organizing, unpacking boxes, bringing tons of food trying to find something Kathy could tolerate while she was sick.

Her niece, Donna, drove from Richland, MS, to spend days at a time visiting, cooking, bringing food, helping unpack boxes (so many boxes), and entertaining Kathy with conversation and reminiscing.

Donna and Marilyn were nieces but felt more like sisters since Kathy was the baby of her family and they were closer in age than the rest of the nieces.

Her niece, Missy, came to sit, help with showers, washed, cut and fixed her hair. She would lavish lotion on Kathy’s tired and dry skin, brought food and pushed Kathy to eat even if she didn’t want to. Missy organized closets, pantry and sewing room, unpacked boxes and more boxes.

We will never be able to repay the love you have shown Mother and the two of us over the last six months. She loved you so very much.