Kathryn Catron

After attending high school in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Kathy caught a ride to Minnesota where she worked in the hayfields. Then on July 5, 1939, she started hitchhiking with two cousins across the U.S., eventually arriving in White Salmon. There she met Lee H. Montgomery. The two were married Feb. 24, 1940, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Then they settled in White Salmon where they bought property on the west bluff at the end of the Eyrie Rd. There they built a house, planted an orchard, and reared four children. Although their marriage lasted only 24 years, Kathy and Lee remained friends until his death on July 14, 1999.

In the early sixties Kathy returned to school, becoming an LPN (licensed practical nurse), graduating in 1964. During that year she married Wallace Catron, Jr.

Kathy worked for other orchardists over the years, including Glacier Orchards and Larry Larson of Snowden. Also, she was employed as an LPN for the Hood River Care Center, 1965 to 1973. After losing her husband to a heart attack on June 16, 1973, Kathy was employed by Skyline Hospital in White Salmon. Next she worked for Wind River Nursery for about five years.

Then she was able to devote all her attention to her various orchards, selling harvested fruit door to door from White Salmon to North Bonneville to Trout Lake. She remained an active orchardist until a tractor accident in July of 2007 slowed her down. Even after a stroke during apple harvest that same year, with the help of friends and family, Kathy was able to sell her apples again along her usual route.

A longtime member of the White Salmon Seventh-day Adventist Church, Mrs. Catron exercised her “gift of giving” to support many worthy causes, including orphanages and missionaries throughout the world.

Kathryn Catron is survived by her son Lee Montgomery and wife Paula of Underwood, Richard Montgomery of White Salmon, Dale Montgomery of Forks, Wash., and Christi Brown and husband Ray of Eldorado, Calif.; grandchildren Stefanie Susol and husband Uzek of Eastsound, Wash., Kymber Habenicht and husband Daniel of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., Troy Montgomery and wife Amapola of Damascus, Ore., Preston Montgomery and wife Jennifer of Spokane, Wash., April Clinkenbeard of Prosser, Wash., Justin Montgomery of Grandview, Wash., and Kenneth Napper and wife Jennifer of Sacramento, Calif.; and 14 great grandchildren.

Mrs. Catron’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 23, 2016, at 3 p.m. at the White Salmon Seventh-day Adventist Church on NE Tohomish St, and arrangements are being handled by Gardner’s Funeral Home.

Contributions may be sent to Kathy Catron Memorial Fund, SDA Church, P.O. Box 9, White Salmon, Wash. 98672.