Catherine “Cathy” Ann Parson of Auburn, Nebraska, passed away on September 25, 2017, at the Good Samaritan Society in Syracuse, Nebraska, at the age of 69 after a fierce battle with cancer. She was born June 19, 1948, in Auburn, Nebraska, to Harold and Elsie (Galatas) Whisler.
Baptized on October 31, 1948, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Auburn, Cathy graduated from Lourdes Central Catholic High School in Nebraska City, Nebraska. She married Phillip J. Parson on March 24, 1972, in Papillion, Nebraska. They were blessed with one son, Bradley Eugene Parson.
Cathy was retired from Ariens Company in Auburn, where she worked for 19 years. She was very proud of the work she did there, built many lasting friendships, and ended her career in April 2015 as a service parts leader.
An avid reader in her spare time, you would most likely find Cathy with a book in her hand or at least one or two by her side, often reading more than one at a time. She also loved movies, all things chocolate, diet coke, coffee, and pretty much any dog she ever met. Over the years, Cathy was known for taking in more than one or two stray dogs – sometimes to the dismay of those around her – always treating her four-legged friends as good or better than their human counterparts. With a razor-sharp sense of humor, Cathy never took things too seriously. She could make anyone around her laugh with her quick-witted jokes and sarcasm, including the entire nursing home staff in Syracuse up until her very last days.
Cathy is survived by: son and daughter-in-law, Brad and Ellen Parson, granddaughters, Clayre and Audrey Parson, Lee’s Summit, Missouri; her loving canine companion, a chihuahua named Tequi; sister, Suellen Busch, Creston, Iowa; niece and husband, Wendy and Randy Werner, great-niece, Madeline, and great-nephew, Nolan, Syracuse, Nebraska; nephew, Mark Kuenning, Ralston, Nebraska; niece, Jennifer, and great-niece, Amanda, Creston, Iowa; dear friends, Ron and Mercy Kaelin, Auburn, Nebraska; lifelong friends, Becci Holman, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Linda Davis of Oregon; and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Elsie Whisler, and companion, John David Lewis.
In keeping with Cathy’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. In lieu of flowers, anyone interested in contributing to a memorial in her memory should consider donating to the American Cancer Society at https://donate3.cancer.org or the Good Samaritan Foundation at https://www.good-sam.com/foundation/donate.
Arrangements were by Fusselman Allen Harvey Funeral Home, Syracuse, Nebraska. Condolences to www.fusselmanallenharvey.com.