Catherine “Catzy” Charlotte Johnson, 102, of Williams Bay, passed away April 22, 2016, in Williams Bay.
She was born June 7, 1913, in Superior, to Horace R. and Gusta (Reiton) Slater.
When Catzy was 13 years old, her mother died very unexpectedly leaving her father, a captain of freighters, to care for her three older sisters and a younger brother. Thankfully, her grandmother, aunts and uncle gave them a temporary secure home on their family farm in Baldwin.
At the age of 15, she and her younger brother, Hoddy, went to live with their older sister, Alice Slater, who taught fifth and sixth grade in Williams Bay. This was a major turning point for her, as one of her classmates was Wilbur (Wib) Johnson, whom she married in 1936. They continued to live and raise their daughters over many years in the Williams Bay area, celebrating their 62nd anniversary while watching the many changes in their town.
Catzy was known for many things. For instance, her concern about the lack of activities for teenagers, which ultimately helped establish the Civic League, her more than 65 years of membership in the United Church of Christ Congregational as both the superintendent and a teacher of the Sunday school, her many coffee parties, her sought-after ability to find just the right outfit for clients of the Smart Shop in Lake Geneva, her big hats, and her generosity and thoughtfulness in sending countless cards and letters. She also is to be remembered for her sponsorship and friendship with a young Philippine girl through the Christian Children’s Fund who even now, 53 years later, keeps in touch and named her first daughter, Catherine.
Politics was of great interest to her and being almost the only Democrat around, she was highly recruited as a poll worker. We know she proudly cast her ballot in the 2016 Wisconsin primary for Hillary.
But perhaps she is most remembered by “old-timers” in Williams Bay, when in the first Civic League variety show at the Lake Geneva Riviera, she came out, this red-headed, church school superintendent, in her form-fitting gold lame dress and belted out “Birth of the blues.” She brought down the house. What many didn’t know was that before she and Wib were married, she not only worked as a nanny in Chicago but sang in night clubs as well one in which Cab Callaway played.
In Wib’s and Catzy’s retirement years, they lived happily in Wib’s family home taking care of his mother, Anna. After Wib’s death and many years of living with her “Jake,” she decided to live with her daughters, Judy and Julie. She loved the excitement of being at Julie and Phil’s as she had five great grandchildren to watch but also enjoyed the quieter times and “Chewy” at Judy and Jim’s. Upon her death, a family friend wrote, “At almost 103 a light has gone out in Williams Bay and its history.” It certainly has.
Catzy is survived by her daughters, Judy Babllitch and Julie (Philip) Johnson; grandchildren, Johanna (Adam) Osharow and Jamie (Sean) Dougherty; and five great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Wilbur “Wib” Johnson, son-in-law Jim Bablitch, three sisters and a brother.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. June 4 at Williams Bay United Church of Christ, 46 Stam St., Williams Bay.
Memorials may be given in her name to Judy Bablitch, 1316 Division Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481 for donation to Senior Care Network in Crystal Lake, Ill., Community Friends in Stevens Point, and United Church of Christ, Congregational in Williams Bay.
Toynton’s Walworth Funeral Home is assisting the family.
