Catherine Gee

There are some songs that are so unexplainably beautiful, so perfectly executed that to hear just one note is a blessing. Catherine Eileen Gee was the voice behind these types of songs, living her life to impact the lives of others, and to show them that life can be a soothing melody. A loving mother, wife, and teacher, Catherine completed each task in her life as a strong and committed Christian woman.

Catherine was born in St. Johns, Michigan on October 7, 1938, the daughter of Vernon B. and Irma (Zimmerman) Reynolds. Being the oldest of five children, Catherine learned at a very early age how to help out around the house and to help her mother with her younger siblings. This would be an important aspect of Catherine's life, and would manifest itself in Catherine's interest for caregiving for the rest of her life to come.

Growing up in a family whose main focus was on the love of God, Catherine and her family were long time members of Grace Bible Church in Owosso. She graduated from Owosso High School with the Class of 1956 and would go on to Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois with the Class of 1961. Catherine's upbringing in the church started her love for singing, so she began to study music at Wheaton, and trained with the top vocal coach there. It was not long before Catherine's already wonderful voice blossomed into that of an angel. This was a gift that Catherine wanted to share with the world, and her beautiful tone touched the hearts of many.

Catherine met Richard Gee at a skating party. Their youth groups often got together, so the two ran into each other quite often. On a visit home from college, Richard stopped at Catherine's house, and at this point she realized what a spark she had for him. It was no surprise that, some years later, Richard asked Catherine to marry him. On June 27, 1964 she married Richard E. Gee at Grace Bible Church in Owosso, Michigan.This was the beginning of a life serving the Lord together. The couple both loved to sing, and would sing together quite often in duets, trios and any other ensemble they could find.

After she graduated from Wheaton, Catherine took a position teaching music in Owosso. Taking the advice of a principal, she stepped into a full time teaching position in the elementary school and never looked back. After many years, she found that she was expecting her first son, Jonathan. She stayed home until he started school, and then went back to teaching. Catherine was always looking out for ways she could do more things for more people.

It was Catherine's main ambition in life to see that her boys would come to know the Lord and would become Godly Men. This was so important to her, in fact, that she went to work at Grove Christian School. Soon Catherine would have another little one, this time giving birth to David, her youngest. As a mother, she was kind and compassionate, loved having her sons at her side, and made sure that her family was well taken care of.

After many long and wonderful years teaching at Grove, Catherine eventually retired in 1997. It was around this time that her health also began to suffer, but Catherine was a trooper. It took a lot to get her down. She knew that life's difficulties were no match for the Lord's power, and she lived every day of her life letting that knowledge dictate her actions.

Catherine Eileen Gee, age 71 of Ovid, was ushered into the presence of her Savior on Monday, November 9, 2009. She will be so deeply missed.

Catherine's heart song continues to resonate with her loved ones, who she was ever so devoted to. Her passion for the Lord, life, love, creativity, and kindness became her profession as a teacher and mother, truly living her life in the service of others as God intended.

Catherine is survived by her sons, Jonathan R. (Amy) Gee of St. Johns and David E. Gee of Lansdale, PA; sister, Janice M. (Duane) Stoolmaker of East Lansing; brothers, Glen M. (Carol) Reynolds of Owosso, Kenneth Dean (Dixie) Reynolds of Corunna, Leo C. (Kay) Reynolds of Owosso and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded into the presence of the Savior by her father, mother and several aunts and uncles.

Funeral services will be Friday, November 13 at 12:00 PM at Calvary Baptist Church in Ovid followed by a luncheon and burial at Maple Grove Cemetery also in Ovid with Rev. Robert Magee officiating. The family will receive friends from 10 - 12 PM before the service. To learn more about Catherine and view her Life Story film, visit her personal webpage at: www.lifestorynet.com/memories/53226, where you can share a memory or photo and sign her memory book. Sympathy may be expressed in the form of contributions to Calvary Baptist Church or Great Lakes Hospice.