Catherine Marguerite Hoekstra

Catherine Marguerite Hoekstra, 32, of Houston, TX, passed away at 3:00 p.m. on September 10, 2010 in Chicago. Katie was born on a commune in Ettrick, WI, the daughter of Marcus Parker and Andrea Hoekstra. Katie graduated in 1997 from Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, WI before she graduated from Loyola University in Chicago. She was most recently a graduate student with the University of Houston Clear Lake in psychology. Katie had just been accepted as an intern at the Institute for the Healing of Racism in Houston, TX and had worked in the women's fashion industry in Chicago for 10 years. She had a strong interest in women's education and worked with autistic children. Katie loved all animals, especially cats. She is preceded in death by her grandmother, Gail Parker; grandfather, Dr. Andrew Hoekstra; uncle, Peter Hoekstra; and aunt, Lisa Weisser. She is survived by her parents, Andrea (husband, Arthur Molin) Hoekstra of Houston, TX and Marcus (Shelley McMillin) Parker of Springfield; grandmother, Portia Hoekstra of Springfield; grandfather, Jerry (wife, Cindy) Parker of Hot Springs Village, AR; aunts, Laura (husband, Michael) Pitchford of Springfield, Angela (husband, Nils) Westholm of Springfield, Sara (husband, Kenneth) Noble of Springfield, Anna (husband, Robert) Jordan of Gainsville, FL, Margaret Coletti of Boston, MA, Elizabeth Hoffman of NC, Mary Joanna Hoekstra of Springfield, and Catherine (husband, Rudolfo) Martinez of Stockton, CA; uncle, John (wife, Susanne) Hoekstra of Portland, ME; and several cousins. The family will receive friends from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Road, Springfield, IL, with a funeral ceremony to follow at 1:30 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to: Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Road, Springfield, IL 62711 or the Institute for the Healing of Racism, P.O. Box 27327, Houston, TX 77227.