Obituary: Shields, Catherine G. (Erickson)
Age 96
10/04/1919 - 02/13/2016
Born in Lewiston Orchards, Idaho to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene M. Thompson, Catherine graduated from Lewiston High School and North Idaho State Teachers College in 1939.
She taught school at Ahsahka, Weippe and Asotin for five years before marrying George Erickson of Spokane, who was employed with the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Work with the railroad resulted in transfers to Missoula (10 years) and eventually to Livingston, Montana.
Catherine then made a career changing decision, taking a three month course in typing and shorthand.
Her skills placed her as executive secretary to the Shop Manager office for the Northern Pacific Headquarters, involved in testimonies of labor rights and legal concerns.
She recalls her longest single work was 30 pages of testimony and was relieved when recorders were finally allowed.
Catherine worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad for over 30 years.
In October, 1984, Catherine entered our Shields’ family and became known as Grandma Kay.
Both Kay and J. Paul Shields Sr. had lost their spouses and were neighbors in the Paradise Valley area, south of Livingston.
Weekly dances at Melody Lane brought them together…and the spaghetti dinners she provided which she learned (from friends) later…he didn’t like spaghetti.
Our first meeting with Kay was at the Bozeman airport.
She was elegant, in a silver fox coat and lovely accessories.
Our seven year old son, knowing he should say something nice, blurted, “I like your mouse coat.”
The stunned silence was broken by Kay laughing, bending down and saying “Oh, thank you!
Your grandpa got it for me and I love it too.”
From then on, she loved to refer to her “mouse coat.
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Kay’s sense of humor, her wit, her love of entertaining, and traveling brought such joyful memories for Dad Shields, her Waterford/ TouchMark community and our family/friends.
I will always carry her memory with gratitude and love.
I could not have asked for a better mother-in-law or confidant.
Catherine was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, three sisters, her stepson Robert Dean Shields and both husbands.
She is survived by her stepson, Dr. J. Paul (Sharma) Shields Jr., Spokane, numerous step-grandchildren, great and great-great-grandchildren and nieces, Sandy Powell (Scottsdale/Spokane), Jackie (Dick) Lloyd (Lewiston), Carolyn Woodruff (Spokane Valley) and Virginia Leonard (Lewiston, ID.
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A special thanks to Hospice of Spokane for their wonderful connection and assisting with TouchMark Skilled Care in her last days.
We are forever grateful.
At her request, there will be no service or gathering.
If you have a memory of her and would like to make a charitable contribution in her honor, please donate to Shriners Hospital of Spokane, PO Box 2472, Spokane, WA 99210.
Catherine was a longtime member of Daughters of the Nile, Sapphire Temple #79.