Kathryn D. Voorhies

On December 7, 2018
1 Comments

Kathryn D. Voorhies passed away peacefully on November 28, 2018, in McMurray, PA under the care of her niece, Marylu Gilbert Fitzpatrick. Kate was born on December 12, 1918, in Corunna, Michigan, to Zella and Archie Leedle and was just two weeks from celebrating her 100th birthday. She was married to Carl Edward Voorhies in 1942.

Carl was a WWII, B-29, Super Fortress Pilot who flew 34 missions over Japan. After the war, he returned to Gaines and started a commercial real estate company. He and Kate soon began breeding standardbred horses for training and racing. They were true partners as Kate maintained the books and was known to stay up all night to tend to a recent foal. Carl passed away March 3, 2012. and was the last of her immediate family.

Also preceding her in death were her parents (Archie and Zella Leedle), and brothers, Robert C. (Isabelle Toomey) and Glen Leon (Isabel Clements) Leedle. Nieces, Barbara (Dale Judd) of Grayling, Mi., Carol (Gary Turner), Houghton Lake, and Nephew Gerald Leedle (Nancy) of Marquette, Michigan. Two nephews, Jack (Sue), and Kenny Roy Leedle, and many other family members still remain in the Durand area.

When Kate married into the Voorhies family (Mary and Harry), from Gaines, Michigan, she expanded her family to include a brother-in-law, Donald Voorhies (Betty), Sarasota, Florida,, and four sisters-in-law. They were: Olive (Ephriam Judson), Zola (Orva Gilbert), Eileen (Charles Leneschmidt), from Gaines, and Ruth (Robert Fink), Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Internment will be in the Gaines Oakwood Cemetery at a later date.

1 Comment

Roger and Tammy Gady

Jan 10 2020

She touched our hearts. 30 yrs. ago we lived in Durand, Mi, a few miles from Kate and Carl. We moved to the U.P. of Michigan for Roger to work for the Michigan State Police in St. Ignace at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge. One day Roger brought home a bushel of tomatoes and I was working. He called Kate to ask for a few pointers and of course she said you bring your tomatoes out to the house and we'll can them. She used a Victorio Strainer appliance and when I returned home there were quart jars all filled. Another day Roger called to ask if it was hard to make peanut brittle. Roger and son were at Kate's again, she taught him to use a thermometer and he was so impressed when she opened the door and asked him to lay the pans out in the snow to cool. She loved dogs and we did too. We visited some evenings and Kate would open a closet door in the living room and pull out two bed mattresses, one for each blond lab. Our son would end up laying with one of them. Twice we drove to Lansing with her to a special vet at Michigan State to treat her dogs allergies. We had two large labs at that time, moved up north and purchased a large farm which has 30 yrs. of dogs and cats buried in a maple hill called "Heaven Hill". Kate, and Carl too, made a big impact on our son as well. They were so kind. I believe they were meant to be foster grandparents for those who lived far from family, like us. Our son has a fine family and two very large dogs in the home just like Kate and Carl. Carl let our son drive the horses and shared pointers on breeding fine sulky horses, he was 13. Roger owns a Victorio Strainer and candy thermometer. We know Kate is busy with her angel work, we were so very fortunate to know her for ten years. Thank you for watching over our friend Kate in her last years. I accidentally found Kate's obit working on Roger's family tree on ancestry.com. There seems to be a Voorhees surname that shows up, not necessarily a DNA match but will let you know if I find it is. I've been searching for his Grandfather's family for 49 yrs!

Pittsburgh

Peters Township

Kathryn D. Voorhies

Leave a Condolence Cancel reply

1 Comment

Kathleen London

Jacqueline “Jackie” Hope Manning

Jessica Lynne Williams

Eunice M. Richmond

Donald Robert Faskow

Debra L. Pendergast

Michael A. Poleto