Katherine Victoria Graf

Katherine Victoria Graf was born in Muenster, Texas on July 27, 1922 to parents John Paul and Theresia Fisch but was raised mostly in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Katherine had two brothers and two sisters, all of whom have passed away except for her sister Rosemary who lives in Longmont, Colorado.
On September 13, 1941 Katherine married Richard (Dick) Graf in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Dick was a geophysicist with Shell Oil Corporation. They were known as "Doodlebugers", a name given to families of Shell Oil exploration crew members who moved from oil field to oil field. The family moved at least 15 times over a period of 25 years until they settled in New Orleans in 1966. Katherine's main occupations were mother and housewife. Katherine volunteered her time when she could at a local hospital and was instrumental in organizing a garden Club while living in New Orleans.

When Dick retired from Shell in 1978, they moved to Plano, Texas. Unfortunately, Dick passed away two short years later on August 1, 1980. Katherine stayed busy as a parishioner at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano where she organized a seniors' group and was active in the needlework circle. She volunteered her time at Medical Center Plano and during the early 80's, each week during the school year she would read to the children in the Seton Ark program at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
Katherine passed away on November 17, 2010 at the age of 88. She is survived by her children Trena Worobec of Alexandria, Virginia, Peggy Eckelkamp of Plano, Texas, Dolores Lawrence of Charlottesville, Virginia, Rick Graf of Syracuse, New York and Rosemary Whitmore of Lilburn, Georgia. Also surviving are eleven grandchildren, Becky Eckelkamp, Douglas Lawrence, Daniel Eckelkamp, Sophia Worobec, Mark Lawrence, Thomas Worobec, Erica Graf, Rachel Graf, Kevin Whitmore, Thomas Graf and Patrick Whitmore.

The Mass of the Resurrection will be held 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 29, 2010 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2700 W. Spring Creek Pkwy., Plano, Texas 75023 with Father John Szatkowski as Celebrant. Following the funeral service, Katherine will be laid to rest at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.