She was born on the family farm near Raytown, GA. on October 6, 1924.
Catherine graduated valedictorian of her class from Alexander Stephens Institute High School in Crawfordville, Ga. at sixteen years old and moved to Atlanta, Ga. where she received her secretarial certificate from Southern Business University. She worked as a secretary for a consulting engineer in Atlanta until she married Sergeant Jesse L. Fitzgerald, Jr. of St. Simons Island who was stationed at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, on October 16, 1943. They moved to St. Simons Island in 1945. After her children were in junior high school she resumed her secretarial career working for Roy Crumbliss & Associates on St. Simons Island.
She was a member of St. Simons United Methodist Church since 1945. A long time chairman of the Missions Committee, she instituted support for the Redbird Mission in Kentucky and the heifer project , both of which are on-going church missions. She was active in the United Methodist Women. For many years she was responsible for communion preparations and was one of several ladies entrusted with counting the weekly church offerings. She coordinated the church work teams for MAP International and was honored as the MAP volunteer of the year in 2005.
For many years she and her husband were active in the Lay Witness Missions Program. They were the coordinators of the annual Lay Witness Meeting held at Epworth. They participated in missions across Georgia and in Israel, Ireland, Scotland, and England.
Her interests included rose gardening and bird watching, and she was a very accomplished seamstress.
She is survived by a son, Michael (Sandy) Fitzgerald of St. Simons, a daughter, Rebecca Fitzgerald of Savannah, GA., grandchildren, Jesse Fitzgerald of Athens, GA and Elizabeth Fitzgerald of San Francisco, CA., and nieces Linda (David) Lindsey and Gloria Rhodes of Washington, GA and Frances (Dennis) Hopkins of Marietta, GA.
A Memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm April 8, 2017 at St. Simons United Methodist Church.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Simons United Methodist Church or Hospice of the Golden Isles.
Arrangements entrusted with Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home.
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