Catherine L. Reynolds

Catherine L. Reynolds

Catherine Lucille Webb Reynolds, 97, passed gently into the arms of Jesus on March 17, 2025 at her daughter’s home in Tulsa, OK.

Catherine (Kate/Kay) was born just after her twin brother, Charles (Chuck), on November 11, 1927 in Des Moines, Iowa, to parents Joseph and Elsie Webb. The twins, along with their older sister Elizabeth (Betty), grew up in Mitchellville. They helped with chores and the family dairy business, and lived through the Depression and World War II. Most of their relatives lived nearby, and the Webb kids spent many happy hours at their grandparents’ and playing with their close cousins. Kate had a beautiful soprano voice and sang at church and in various ensembles in her younger years.

She graduated from Mitchellville High School in 1947. A few years later she met her lifelong love, Donald Reynolds; they married in December 1953 in the Mitchellville Congregational Church. They resided in Iowa City while Don finished his degree at the U. of I. and Kate did clerical work in the athletic dept. for Coach Forest Evashevski. Don and Kate loved attending the football games, and were lifelong staunch Hawkeye fans.

After enduring five heartbreaking miscarriages, Kate finally became a mother in January 1964 when Diane was born. Don and Kate were wonderful parents, lavishing love on Diane and faithfully supporting her in all her activities.

The family lived in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Winnebago MN, and Jefferson before finally settling in Onawa in 1973. Kate ran a thriving cleaning business, later assisted by Don. They attended the Onawa Methodist Church and made many dear friends. In 1997 Don and Kate moved to Mitchellville where Don lived until his passing in 2000 and Kate lived until 2014 when she moved to her final home with Diane and family in Tulsa, OK.

Kate loved the time she was able to spend with her grandchildren, attending their activities, making crafts with them, laughing together a lot, and giving the best back scratches. She also spent many hours playing tunes on the piano by ear.

In the last few years Kate’s declining health kept her housebound, but she retained her sense of humor to the end. One of her last jokes came when she was asked, “Do you know how cute you are?” “I’m adorable!” she replied.

Kate can almost be summed up in two words: love and laughter. To know her was to love her and to be loved by her. She was a sweet, tenderhearted soul who made everyone feel loved and made everyone laugh with her goofy humor. Her absence leaves a great void but her love is eternal and will always be with us.

Kate is survived by her daughter Diane and son-in-law Fred Kunkel of Tulsa, OK; grandchildren Josh, Katie (fiancé Cory), and Sean; sister Betty DeGraff of Van Horne, Iowa, and beloved nephews, nieces, and cousins. She was reunited in Heaven with her husband, Don; parents Joseph and Elsie Webb; brother Chuck Webb; brothers-in-law Don DeGraff, Lester Reynolds, and Larry Reynolds; sisters-in-law Wilma Webb, Norma Reynolds, and Pat Reynolds; and her five miscarried children.

Visitation will be April 1, 2025 at 1p.m. followed by a service at 3 p.m. at Hamilton’s Funeral Home in Mitchellville, Iowa. She will be laid to rest next to Don in the Mitchellville Cemetery.

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