Catherine Irene Hartt (I knew her as mom) was born in Rawlins, Wyoming August 24, 1917. Like her sisters, she lived in Wyoming and spent the summers in Hahn’s Peak, CO.
school in Rawlins, Wyo.
Marie (Hartt) Harrison and
(mom) taken in Grand Junction, This is my wedding day in 1975.
Stephanie (Ferron): Chatting with grandma
Mom married my father, Thomas William Keffeler, in 1949. Together, they had two children, myself (born in 1955) and my older sister, Theanne (born in 1952). Both Theanne and I were born in Oakland, CA – my dad’s hometown.
Mom was a registered dietitian – something she was inspired to do partially because her father (John Kelly Hartt) was a diabetic. She joined the Women’s Army Corps and was stationed (as an officer) in New Guinea during WWII.
During my growing-up years, mom and dad owned a hardware store in Estes Park, CO. After their divorce, mom eventually relocated with my sister and I to Santa Barbara, CA.
Mom was a pioneer of single parenthood in the 1960s. She gave up drinking, left an abusive marriage, moved us across the country so she could practice as a dietitian, again. Her strength and courage have always been an inspiration to me.
Mom died in 1980, the day before my 25th birthday. She did get to meet both her grandchildren, Stephanie and Erica Ferron and loved her role as grandma! I lost her way too soon.
Pearl Lake State Park History 