Catherine A. Copeland

Catherine was a gentle lady who charmed everyone with her grace and dignity. Through many years of dementia, we learned to let go as this wonderful woman who touched so many lives was erased story by story, memory by memory, as everything familiar faded into the unknown.

Born December 20, 1914, in Houston, Texas, to Robert and Myrtle Andrews, Catherine and her parents moved to San Angelo where she finished high school; she then attended Daniel Baker College and additional college work was done at Oklahoma A & M College in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Mansfield College, Oxford University, Oxford, England.

In 1933 she met and married the only love of her life, a young preacher, Kenneth W. Copeland who later became a Bishop of the United Methodist Church.

Her major concern in the life and witness of the church was the Christian witness through world missions. She traveled extensively with her husband including visits to the life and work of the church in Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Middle East and the Holy Lands.

She spoke in numerous gatherings of church people where the mission of the church around the world was the topic of major concern. She was the recipient of many honors from church organizations and served as President of the Bishops' Wives of the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church and was Corresponding Secretary of the Council of Bishops' Wives.

After her husband's untimely death in 1973, she was a part of the Administrative Staff of the Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital of San Antonio and received a Doctor of Humanity degree from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and was for many years an active member of the Foundation For Evangelism of the United Methodist Church.

Catherine is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her sister, a brother, and others members of her family and her husband's family.

She is survived by her two daughters, Patricia Ard and her husband Dr. James W. Ard of Georgetown, TX, and Sue Dial Callins and her husband Peter Callins of San Antonio, TX, also 5 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren, and many people who have loved and admired her through the years and will miss her very much.

Her family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and members of the staff of Morningside Manor, Unit 7, and also Vitas Hospice for their loving care.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, November 3, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Porter Loring 1101 McCullough.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

THURSDAY

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

12:45 P.M.

MISSION BURIAL PARK SOUTH

1700 S W MILITARY DR.

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOLLOWS

2:00 P.M.

UNIVERSITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

5084 DE ZAVALA RD.

The family requests that, instead of flowers, memorials be sent to Morningside Ministries, 700 Babcock Rd., San Antonio, TX or The Foundation For Evangelism of the United Methodist Church, PO Box 985, 125 N. Lakeshore Dr., Lake Junaluska, NC 28745 Ph. 1-800-737-8333.

Reception immediately following the memorial service at the church.