McDermott, Catherine “Fern” – 1913–2011

CAMPBELL, CLAIR, HARRIGAN, MC DERMOTT, MC GILL, POWER

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 6/24/2011 at 08:52:45

Catherine “Fern” McDermott, 98, of Newton died Tuesday, June 14, 2011, at the Hospice of Jasper County Monarch Wing in Newton.
A funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 18, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The family will greet friends from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday at the church. Burial will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery. Memorials to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Hospice of Jasper County or to the donor’s choice may be left at the church. Wallace Family Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Fern was born on April 21, 1913, in Des Moines and was the daughter of Daniel and Catherine (Campbell) Harrigan. After the death of her mother, Fern was lovingly raised by her Uncle Daniel and Aunt Margaret (Harrigan) McGill, where she grew up on the family farm near Valeria. Fern graduated from Farrar High School in 1930 and was a member of the basketball team as a jump center. She then attended business school in Des Moines.
On Nov. 3, 1945, Fern was united in marriage with Thomas Francis McDermott at the Sacred Heart Church in Valeria. They moved to Francis’ family farm in Jasper County, where they were the devoted stewards of the Century Farm. This became Fern’s home for the rest of her life.
Fern was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Newton, Skiff Hospital Auxiliary, Jasper County Historical Society and Farm Bureau Jasper County. She also was a former 4H leader of the Atomic Starlets.
Fern took great pride in taking care of her home and saying her rosary daily. She enjoyed cooking, baking pies, canning and taking care of her vegetable and flower gardens. Fern was a part of a neighborhood birthday club and remembering family and friends on their special days with cards and phone calls gave her great joy.
Fern was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She dearly loved her family and especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Fern was also blessed with many caring neighbors and friends, some life long and some new, but all were dear to her heart. She will be deeply missed.
Fern’s survivors include her two daughters, Joan (Scott) Power of Burlington and Sheila (Bill) Clair of Waukon; seven grandchildren, Matthew (Arianne) Power of Iowa City, Joshua (Ally) Power of Austin, Texas, Amy Power of Fort Madison, Zachary (Shara) Power of Iowa City, Ellen Power of Burlington, Christopher (Tracy) Clair of Cedar Rapids and Jeremy Clair of Winona, Minn.; her three great-grandsons, Clive and Josiah Power and William Clair; and her many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Francis, in 1989; sister, Mary Jane Harrigan; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Paul and Virginia McDermott and Daniel and Kathryn McGill.
Source: Newton Daily News; Thursday, June 16, 2011