Katherine DeWald Blichert

Katherine DeWald Blichert, who died peacefully on October 30, with family at her side, was born June 21, 1920 in Fort Wayne, the first child of Stephen F. DeWald and Eileen (Loos) DeWald. Katherine attended St. Patrick's Grade School and St. Catherine's Academy, and worked at Wayne Pump and for Dr. Carroll O'Rourke before completing nursing school at St. Joseph's Hospital in Chicago, where she met Peter A. Blichert, M.D. They married in 1948, and lived in Chicago until 1954 when they moved to Fort Wayne with their four children. The family were members of St. John the Baptist parish until 2007, when Peter and Katherine moved to Georgetown Place and became members of St. Charles Borromeo parish. Katherine was preceded in death by her husband Peter A. Blichert, and is survived by her daughters Kristine (Erik) Grabow of Felton CA, Meg Baldwin of Roanoke VA, Jane (Joseph) Eckrich of San Luis Obispo CA, son Mark Blichert of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, eleven grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. Other survivors include her sister Mary Cantwell of Rome City IN, brothers Stephen DeWald of Fort Wayne, and George DeWald of Rome City IN.Throughout her life, Katherine enjoyed time spent with family at the lake, as a child at Sylvan Lake and later among her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren at Dallas Lake. When their children were grown, but before the grandchildren arrived, Peter and Katherine traveled extensively in Asia, South and Central America, and Europe, with a special appreciation for Prague and Vienna. An ambitious and inventive cook and baker, she also enjoyed gardening, swimming, and a variety of arts and crafts: sewing, needlepoint, ceramics, and watercolors. She was always ready for a card game, and remained a formidable euchre player to the very end. She was an active volunteer throughout her life, counting among her many causes Homebound Meals (as a charter member, for over 30 years), the Fort Wayne Medical, Auxiliary (as a past president), Red Cross Blood Drives, Head Start, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, Day Break Children's Shelter, as a nurse at Well Baby Clinic, and as an adult literacy tutor. Mass of Christian Burial is Wednesday, 10:30 am, November 6, 2013 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church with calling one hour prior. Msgr John Suelzer officiating. Calling will also be Tuesday, November 05, 2013 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm & 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm at D. O. McComb and Sons Maplewood Park Funeral Home, 4017 Maplecrest Road. Burial in Catholic Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Memorials may be made to the Tuition Assistance Fund at St. John School, Bishop Luers High School or Daybreak. To sign the online guest book, go to www.domccombandsons.com