Katherine Ruth Smith (Wooldridge), 64, of Seadrift, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, December 09, 2012. She loved her family, friends, and above all, her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
She was born September 20, 1948 in Victoria to Kenneth and Billie Ruth O’Briant Wooldridge. She was a retired school teacher from Calhoun County Independent School District. She taught school for 21 years (11 of those at Seadrift Elementary). After retirement, she and her husband worked in the ministry (as missionaries to Mexico, associate pastor, and music pastor) for 17 years. She was a member of the Fisherman’s Chapel church in Port O’Connor. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth of Seadrift, mother Billie Ruth Wooldridge of Seadrift, brother Greg and wife Grace of Seadrift, sons Shawn and wife Janet of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Bradley and wife Pam of Spearman, step-sons Tim of Romance, Arkansas and Kevin and wife Karen of Cabot, Arkansas, and 11 grandchildren (Miranda, Dustin, Ashley, Allison, Andy, Brandon, Peyton, Ashton, A.J., Abigail, and Gabriel).
She was preceded in death by her father, Kenneth Wooldridge.
Kathy graduated from Calhoun High School, Victoria College, Corpus Christi State University (now Texas A&M –Corpus Christi), Rhema Correspondence Bible School, and Domata School of Missions. She also attended Baylor University and Prairie View A&M University. She had a Bachelor’s degree in Music with a minor in Elementary Education.
She was an all-state choir member in high school and received several scholarship offers from major colleges for her musical abilities. She was in the choir at Victoria College and at Baylor, and while at Baylor, she once performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She taught school in Texas and Virginia, teaching music at all levels (kindergarten through college), kindergarten, various elementary grades, and middle school, but she spent most of her career teaching kindergarten and music.
She played the piano in church from the time she was twelve years old, and was considered an accomplished pianist by all who heard her play. It was a rare Sunday or Wednesday that she was not playing the piano and singing in church.
For the past 22 years, she and her husband, Kenneth travelled back and forth to Mexico, preaching the Gospel. Their work there has included preaching in churches, feeding the hungry, providing clothing for the needy, building church buildings, and fulfilling the Great Commission (Mark 16:15).
Kathy was loved by everyone who ever met her. Her children and grandchildren loved spending time with her, just talking, hanging out, laughing, and having fun together. She was a strong woman of God, who set a very high standard for her family to follow in terms of serving God, clean living, and being a doer of His Word. Her main goal in life was for her family to serve God and to reach the world with the Good News of Jesus. No matter what, she was never swayed by what others were doing, what others thought or said, or the ways of the world – she was only concerned with pleasing her Lord and doing nothing to bring shame to His name. Her hobbies included music, playing the piano, travel, reading, politics, and spending time with her grandchildren – but most of all serving the Lord.
Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 111, 2012 at the First Baptist Church in Seadrift with Rev. Erny McDonough officiating. Interment will follow in Seadrift Cemetery.
Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.richardsoncolonial.com
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