Katherine "Fredonne" Chapman

Fredonne was born on December 6, 1940, the oldest child of Carrol Milton and G. Betty Sheridan Cathey in Greeley, Colorado. Her early life was lived on the family homestead on Big Gulch, northwest of Craig, near her paternal grandparents, James J. and Orah Holliman Cathey. She attended school with all the Big Gulch neighbors’ children at the Midway School near the east entrance to the ranch. It was also here that her younger siblings, twins Carrol Dean and Carolyn Videne joined the family.

The family then moved south to Hamilton, where her dad was the principal of the small school.

After a few years teaching in Hamilton, her dad took a teaching position in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and the family lived there through her middle school years, until she started high school and they moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Following graduation, Fredonne moved back to Craig to live with her grandparents who had moved into town from the ranch into the house at 450 School St. She worked for a time at the Tastee Freez drive-in and then was able to get a job as a waitress at the Rainbow Café which were both across the street from the Craig Conoco Station. Those jobs proved to be fateful, as she soon caught the eye of Carl Chapman who worked at Conoco. Soon they were dating and were married on August 16, 1959 at the First Christian Church.

To their union came three children, Carl Kim, Carleen Kay and James Boyd (J.B.). Fredonne loved being a mom and what a great mom she was! Once J.B. started school, Fredonne took a position at East Elementary as a teacher’s aide.

In 1976, she began keeping books for Valley Chevron which Carl and his partner Ron Raschke had purchased. After selling their interest in the business to Ron in 1984, they decided to enter an “early retirement” which lasted all of one year. In 1985, they opened Chapman’s Automotive Service Center, first in a rented shop on 4th Street and after a couple years moved the business to its current location on Victory Way. Carl and Fredonne sold their business to J.B. in 2000, opting to “retire” to their place on the NW side of Cedar Mountain, while managing the Cathey family homestead on Big Gulch until it was sold in 2015.

In 1976, she and Carl became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which they attended throughout the remainder of their lives, serving in numerous capacities in their local congregation. Mom was very devout and at her passing many whom she had served referred to her as an “angel”, and her family agreed with that description.

Carl passed away on February 22, 2024 and his funeral was held on March 1, 2024, a year to the day from Fredonne’s passing.

Fredonne is survived by her children, Kim (Conna), Monroe, Utah; Carleen (Pete) and J.B. (Paula), Craig; 10 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren, with another arriving in April. As well as her sister, Carolyn (Dean) Eaton, Taylor, Arizona; brother, Dean (Maggie) Cathey, Gilbert, Arizona; brother-in-law Mike (Sharon) Chapman, Craig; and numerous nieces, nephews and their families.

Fredonne was preceded in death by husband Carl, her parents, her husbands’ parents Boyd and Winifred Chapman, a great granddaughter, Kwynn Allen, a niece Janine Stehle-Doehling and a nephew, David Cathey.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, March 8, 2025 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A viewing for family and friends will be held at 9:00 a.m. until service time.