Katharine Billings Siege

Katie passed on Friday, June 13, 2003. Her passing has been sudden and although as a family we are grief stricken, we are relieved that she did not have to suffer and that she was able to continue to meet life on her own terms.

Her life was filled with compassionate and loving acts. She was fun loving and had an incredibly creative, spiritual soul. Her loss will be deeply felt by her family as well as those who knew her as the proprietor of Katie's Kitchen at Artisan's Alley.

Katie took a circuitous route before becoming a 30-year citizen of San Antonio. Katie was born to Dr. Paul and Marjorie Davies in Chicago, Illinois on June 2, 1931. She grew up in Chalmer's Place at McCormick Seminary. She would often recall fond memories of time spent with her brother Paul playing around Chalmer's Place.

She attended Francis Parker School graduating in 1949 at which time she headed east to begin her studies at Smith College. After four years of intense friendship building, she graduated from Smith, and began concentrating on her art studies. She then spent time studying at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and earned a Master of Fine Arts from Yale.

Katie was well loved by her family and friends. She was often endearingly referred to as Kutts or Kuttsie. While growing up, she shared many wonderful summer moments with her family at Lake Hubert, Minnesota, and at Cape Cod. She traveled to Europe with her parents. Katie was married to John Siege on September 5, 1959, in Chicago.

This was such an act of faith, love, and compassion, because she immediately assumed the responsibility of motherhood to John's three children, Debbie, David, and Steve. Due to John's military commitment as a chaplain, she also accepted the responsibilities that went along with her role as a chaplain's wife. The transient nature of her new life was soon apparent as the family was moved to Germany, and then Italy.

The family thrived in Europe and Katie in particular was deeply delighted by the opportunities to see the cultures and the art. Successive moves included stints in New York, Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, and finally Texas.

While in El Paso, she earned her certification as an art teacher and when moving to San Antonio briefly taught in Head Start and at the middle school level. However, Katie's real interests besides her family, began to coalesce around collecting and then visually setting up displays that would capture the hearts of others. That led to experimenting with auctions and collecting which she parlayed into a business, Coffee Mill Antiques.

When an opportunity arose at Artisans Alley, her work shifted, and she opened Katie's Kitchen. The last 16 year have seen her shop and the people with whom she worked as the focus of her life. She has been honored to be part of so many of the lives of the folks who work at the Alley. Those who have worked with her have been so supportive of her. Close friendships have provided much joy. Katie was known as a collector of antiques, especially carousel animals She had a marvelous eye.

She loved being with her friends and family and would proudly share stories of her shop friends with her family and likewise do the same with her shop friends. We all loved her sense of whimsy.

Katie is survived by her three children Deborah Budnik and husband, Gary, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; David and wife, Betty, of San Antonio; and son Steven and wife Paige of Lubbock; grandchildren Cathy, Carrie, Chris, Debbie, Heather, Ashley, Carley, and Cody. Survivors also include her brother Paul Davies of Chicago and her brother in law Harden Smith, of Kensington, Maryland, and nephews Chris and Peter Smith, Kenny Davies, and niece, Tika Walsh.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved sister, Midge. She will be remembered as a Nana who would encourage her grandchildren to be inquisitive, daring, and confident in their abilities. She thrived on being around young people.

She will be remembered as a Nana who would encourage her grandchildren to be inquisitive, daring, and confident in their abilities. She thrived on being around young people.