November 3, 1935 ~ November 27, 2024 (age 89)
Catherine Emilie Cantwell Spivey journeyed to Heaven at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, in the Columbus Regional Healthcare System, Whiteville, NC, surrounded by her loving family. Catherine was born on November 3, 1935, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin to the late John Francis Cantwell and Alvina Martha Marie (Schmidt) Cantwell. She was known to her family as Kitty, growing up with her sisters, Ruth (Jack) Bohac and Fran (Pete) Palmer. After moving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to work as a bookkeeper, she met and married Gail Claud Spivey on August 10, 1960, at the Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI. Although quite the proud Cheesehead, in 1962 she agreed to move to our dad’s hometown of Tabor City, NC to raise their family, Julienne Marie (Larry) Hardie, Williams Township, NC, Jeaneen Gail (Victor) Moore, Chillicothe, Ohio, Daniel Jacobs (Denise) Spivey of Sumter, SC and Sara Jane (Mike) Collins of Florence, SC. Their family grew to include grandchildren, Joey Applegate and Tiffany Thompson, Asheville, Ohio, Tamica (Ben) Baldwin, Meghan (Jake) McNichols, Johnathan (Cassie) Ray, Amanda Woods, Joshua (Kelly) Rabon, Benji (Selena) Hardie, Breanne (Stephen) Davis, Juston (Endless) Williams, and Katie (Jack) Wallace. Great-grandchildren are Jacob McNichols, Brenden Applegate, Caleb Woods, Corey Applegate, Caidyn McCann, Faith Thompson, Gracie Thompson, Marissa Donahue, Madalyn Chenault, Lane Britt, Lily Fox, Paige Williamson, Charlotte Davis, Jake Davis, Aurora Hardie, Amelia Rabon, Jaxson Ray, and Phoenix Hardie. Our cousins, Becky White and Franklin Blanton were like her children after the death of our dad’s twin sister. Mom leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and treasured friends. Mom was predeceased by her parents, our dad, Gail Claud Spivey on April 29, 2005, and our sister, Jennifer Ann on March 4, 1961.
After moving to Tabor City, Momma worked as a grill/short order cook for over 40 years at The Coffee Shop, Granny’s Kitchen, and Mama’s Restaurant. She attributed years of standing over a grill of rising steamy, hamburger grease for having no wrinkles at the age of eighty-nine. After she retired, our parents went on to own and operate The Dress Barn in Tabor City and Loris.
Our Momma lived her faith and embodied the Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). If you knew her, you knew a quiet spirit and love. Momma was the strongest person we have ever known…not the outside strength, but the kind of quiet and gentle strength that comes from the Lord. She lived her faith outwardly for all to see and everyone who knew her was better for it. She was baptized into the Lutheran faith on November 24, 1935, and received Lutheran Confirmation on April 10, 1945, at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elkhorn, WI. She remained a member of her home church and in 2005, transferred her letter to Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a founding member.
A funeral service will be held at the Inman Ward Funeral Home & Crematory on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Friends may join the family for visitation from 11 a.m. until the time of the service. Pastor Benjamin Zahn (Amazing Grace Lutheran Church) served as mom’s pastor for the past 18 ½ years and will officiate her services. The service may be viewed via live stream at the following link: https://facebook.com/inmanwardfuneralhome
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, 2240 Carolina Forest Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC, 29579.
“Saying farewell to the ones we love is never easy. Every second shared and memory archived always feels perpetually unfinished when life reaches the closing pages of its final chapter.
Yet, witnessing a kind, gentle and remarkable matriarch surrounded by generations of family and loved ones, as the sun gently sets on her life, is perhaps a more profoundly beautiful ending than any narrative I could have ever imagined.” (Jack Wallace)
A service of Inman Ward Funeral Home & Crematory.
