Katheryn Amelia Houk
( April 29, 1929 – May 01, 2016 )
Katheryn was born April 29, 1929 in Brown County, Nebraska near Ainsworth. She was the daughter of Joseph Eliza ‘Joe’ and Luella Emma (Uehling)Brooks. Katheryn lived most of her first 15 years in the Nebraska Sandhills in Blaine County where she attended grade school in small country schools, the first being in an old sod school house and then the first two years of high school at Dunning High School in Dunning, Nebraska. In 1944, the family moved to Missouri near Brownington and she attended the last two years at Deepwater High School, graduating in 1946. She taught school for one year at a grade school, Valley Center, in St. Clair County. On June 13, 1947 she married Chester Eugene “Gene” Houk. To this union four children were born; Billie Gene, Jerry Dean, Donna Joyce, and Carolyn Kay. Katheryn lived in the Mt. Zion community for most of her married life. She was a member of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church since 1960, having accepted Christ as her Savior at the age of 19 years. She also taught several different Sunday school classes and Vacation Bible School classes over the years.
Katheryn was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers; LaVeer Joseph and Marvin Harland, a grandson, Brook Alan Houk, and a great-grandson, Dakota James Houk, as well as her husband of 58 years, Gene Houk, who passed away in 2005.
Among survivors are four children; Bill Houk (Dawn) of Deepwater, Missouri, Jerry Dean Houk (Melody) of Meadville, Missouri, Donna Brown (Gerald) of Osceola, Missouri, and Carolyn Crump (Terry) of Clinton, Missouri, as well as 12 grandchildren, 24 great- grandchildren, and 3 great great-grandchildren.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Vansant-Mills Funeral Home of Clinton.