Katherine Wittschen Eshleman

Katherine Wittschen Eshleman March 8, 1915 - March 17, 2008 Resident of Lafayette, CA Katherine Eshleman died peacefully in Orinda, CA, on St. Patrick's Day. She was born in Oakland, CA, to Theodore Peter ("T.P.") Wittschen and Alice Sandford Wittschen. Her father was chief counsel for the East Bay Municipal Utilities District and president of the California State Bar Association. Katherine grew up in Oakland and Piedmont, and beginning in 1928 spent summers at Echo Lake, CA. She was an avid hiker and competitive equestrian in her youth and young adulthood. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley, and did postgraduate work at UCLA, where she lived with her aunt and uncle, Ida Wittschen Sproul and Robert Gordon Sproul, then president of the University. After receiving her degrees, Katherine taught school in Albany and Oakland before marrying Robert Eshleman in 1942. They settled first in Martinez, then in Lafayette, building a home in what was then undeveloped countryside. They raised four children in these quiet surroundings, and enjoyed family outings to the opera, symphony, and the mountains. After they divorced, Katherine continued to travel and enjoy the arts. In her later years she remained devoted to her extended family. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth; her three sons, Theodore, Robert, and Thomas; daughters-in-law, Jan, Caroline, and Riki; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and sister, Mary Wittschen Van de Graaff. She was predeceased by sister, Antoinette Margaret W. Adams; brother, Theodore Peter, Jr.; and her ex-husband Robert. Katherine enjoyed a rich, long life, and her many friends and family members will greatly miss her. A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, June 8, 2pm at Corpus Christi Church in Piedmont, CA. The family suggests contributions to Habitat for Humanity International, Attn: Gifts from the Heart, 121 Habitat St., Americus, GA 31709-3498.