Kathryn Wahl

Kathryn Browning Wahl, 89, died in her home , with her son by her side, on May 16,2013.

Her death came after a twelve year struggle with vascular dementia and three years of

cancer. She was sustained by her faith and by her love for her family. Her will to live and

determined nature allowed her to live beyond all expectations. She was a kind,

gentle, and loving person. She will be sorely missed.

She was born Kathryn Joyce Browning on October 14,1923 in Pendleton Co. KY. She

was the daughter of Grigsby Parker Browning and the former Mary Catherine Downard.

She was the granddaughter of Marcus Lafayette Browning and the former Nancy lsobel

Peddicord, and of George Washington Downard and the former Alcy Fields. She was the

beloved niece of F. Clay Browning and the former Maude Downard.

Kathryn was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 57 years, Donald Temke Wahl,

and by her dear brother Kenneth Browning.

She is survived by her son Brian Donald Wahl, her brother Grigsby Gordon Browning, DMD

Of El Cajon, CA, her nephew Patrick Browning of Sacramento, CA, and by members of her

brother Kenneth's family, including her sister-in-law Verna Browning, nieces Anita Mokas

and Maryann Felix and their children Christian Mokas, Shelley Mokas, and Kyle Felix, all

of Cincinnati OH.

Kathryn spent her childhood on her family's farm which was located between Falmouth

and Williamstown KY. She attended the Goforth School and the Shortcreek Baptist Church,

both of which stood next to their farm. From an early age she loved animals, and tended to make pets of

them. She loved horses and was an avid equestrian'

Following her father's advice and example, Kathryn excelled in her studies at Butler High School . She

rode a bus 40 miles a day to get to this school. She added her beautiful alto voice to the Glee Cluband

performed in a number of school stage productions. She wrote for the school newspaper, and served as

an editor. She also devoted much of her time to the care of her brother who had contracted a serious

illness in infancy. He never complained about his illness and she never complained about the time spent

caring for him. When he was 26 he was cured by a new antibiotic. Kathryn and her brother remained

very close until his death at the age of 83.

After graduation, she went to business school in Florida, and later studied Journalism and Accounting at

the University of Cincinnati while working, but she did not pursue a degree in those fields.

She worked for the Red Cross at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station during the early days of WWll, but

she moved to Cincinnati to help care for her mother who had suffered a heart attack.. ln Cincinnati she

worked in the offices of the defense contractor Eagle Picher until end of the war, when she was released

from her essential war worker status. She then joined the Retail Credit Co., which later became Equifax.

She later joined the Champion Paper Co. in Hamilton OH. lt was during this time that she met the love of

her life, Donald Wahl. They were married in Cincinnati on Januaury 20, 1951. When they later moved to

New york City, Kathryn became an office manager in the Manhattan office of the Champion Paper Co.,

replacing a man. Champion Paper made specialty papers that were used to produce some of the top

glossy magazines. Much of her time there was devoted to resolving the competing and often conflicting

requirements of these publishers. Her beautiful, calm speaking voice and polite southern manners often

proved very useful in dealing with some of the clients. She retired from her career so that she could take

care of her recently widowed mother, and her soon to be born son. She spent the next thirteen years

caring for her mother. ln later years she helped her husband to care for his mother for ten years.

Her husband's career took the family to Philadelphia PA, St. Petersburg, Miami, and Clearwater FL, and

then on to Houston TX. ln 1973 they moved to Savannah GA where they later decided to retire.

They were members of the Bull Street Baptist Church for several years and then moved their

membership to the Memorial Baptist Church where they remained faithful members until that church

closed. She was an active member and was involved in several causes, including foreign missions. They

greatly enjoyed the fellowship with other members.

Kathryn joined the Windsor Forest Garden Club in 1974 and remained an active member until a decline

in her health in the late 1990's. She served as club President for three terms and as club secretary for

several more terms in addition to holding other offices. She participated in the beautification of

numerous public spaces and also participated in the development of the Savannah Botanical Gardens.

Kathryn was a former member of the D.A.R

Kathryn and Donald enjoyed a very close and loving 57 year marriage, a relationship that could

only be ended by death. Their happiness was an inspiration to those who knew them well.

ln iieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimers Foundation of

America, the American Heart Association, or a worthy cause of your choice would be appreciated.

A Memorial service will be held on Thursday, June 6, at 11:00 a.m. at Fairhaven Funeral Home, Hubert C. Baker Chapel.