Catherine Walraven

Catherine Walraven, 98, passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2015, at Bee Hive Homes in Louisville, Mississippi. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, in the Nowell Massey Funeral Home Chapel in Louisville with Rev. Mike Childs officiating. Visitation will be the day of the service from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. at Nowell Massey Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Mrs. Walraven was born in Oxford, Mississippi, on March 26, 1917, to John Edgar and Callie Sartor Fudge.  She was a member of First United Methodist Church where she was a member of the Sarah Webb Sunday School class, UMW, and Guild.  Following her marriage to the love of her life, Dr. Lester Walraven, they moved to Louisville in 1953.  Before moving to Louisville, she was a keypunch operator for Standard Oil.  Afterwards she was the office manager for her husband’s optometry clinic which they operated from 1953 until his death.  Catherine was a member of the Louisville Lion’s Club where she was named Lioness of the Year in 1990 and she received the Melvin Jones Fellow Award from Lion’s International for her work on their eye project.  She was also a former member of the Wednesday Culture Club.

Catherine is survived by her step-daughter, Sally Ann White and husband, Joe, of Memphis, Tennessee; and three step-grandchildren, Pat Smith (Nick); Brenda Tichenor; and Joe D. White, Jr., (Karen) all of Memphis.  She is also survived by her sister, Clara Lee McClure; three nephews, Dan South and wife, Cheryl; Billy Joe South; and Melvin McClure, Jr. and wife, Elizabeth Ann; and two nieces, Patricia Ann Lee and husband, Robert; and Elizabeth Ann McClure Jackson and husband, Steve.  “Cracker” is survived by special friends, Janice and Hubert Hunter; and her caregivers, Treba Davis; Jessie Carter; and Debbie Evans.  Special thanks are extended to Melba Reed and the entire staff of the Bee Hive in Louisville for the excellent care she received.  Catherine was preceded in death by her husband; her parents, and her sister, Lou South.

Serving as pallbearers will be Dickie Caperton, Wilfred Davis, Hubert Hunter, Stephen Hunter, Michael Ming, and Leslie Smyth.  Sherman Presley will serve as an honorary pallbearer.  Memorials may be given to First United Methodist Church Landscaping or Kindergarten Funds, 300 W. Main Street, Louisville, MS 39339.

Services are under the direction of Nowell-Massey Funeral Home, 724 North Columbus Avenue, Louisville, MS. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family by signing the guest register at www.nowellmasseyfuneralhome.com.