Katherine Sturtz, 76, of San Angelo, Texas and formerly of Gilman, Iowa died April 29, 2012, at Sagecrest in San Angelo. Funeral services are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell, with Craig Stadtmueller officiating. Pallbearers will be Cade and Cole Doss, Jordan Jost, Matt Knoll, and Brian and Bruce Tokle. Honorary bearers will be Frank Convery, Brandon Hyatt, Eric Ingvall, Chad Lenoch and Bill Sepic. Burial will be in the Prairie View Cemetery in Gilman, Iowa. Visitation with the family present will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday evening at the Smith Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Gilman Community Church, Grinnell Dollars for Scholars, Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Heifer Project International, or medical research for Lupus. Katherine was born November 5, 1935, in Grinnell, the daughter of Edward B. and Sarah Evelyn Miller Peak. She was raised in Gilman and graduated from Gilman High School in 1954. She received her BS degree from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa in 1958 and did extensive graduate work. She was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, a scholastic honorary, and Omicron Nu, a home economics scholastic honorary. She was named outstanding education major her senior year at ISU. She was also a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary for key women educators and honored as a "Who's Who among American Teachers" in Iowa and Texas. On June 29, 1958, she was united in marriage to Vernon Sturtz, in Grinnell. He preceded her in death on March 7, 1977. They had two sons, Steve of San Angelo, Texas and Greg of Midland, Texas. She lived in several communities in Iowa prior to moving to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin in 1968 and later returned to Gilman in 1977. She taught school for 26 years in Iowa and for 7 years as a director of the Colonial Club, a multi-purpose senior center in Sun Prairie and serving as the first full-time director there. She was recognized by the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison as an outstanding woman for her efforts in co-founding the Colonial Club. She wrote a weekly column for the Sun Prairie Star Countyman and also submitted articles for that newspaper. She was given the "Service to Mankind" award by the Sun Prairie Sertoma Service Club in 1971. In 1989 the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce recognized her as an "Outstanding Educator" for her community service work. She was a member of the Grinnell Regional Medical Center's Board of Directors for 9 years and served as secretary, vice-president, and president of that board. She was also on the nominating committee, by=laws committee, and the scholarship committee. She assisted with fund raising for the renovation and addition to the hospital and also served as co-chair for the 25th anniversary celebration marking the merger of the two Grinnell hospitals. She served on the Foundation Board for the hospital and was a member of the hospital auxiliary. She was a charter member of the Grinnell 2000 and served as vice-president and was on both the steering committee and the leadership development committee. She was on the 2000 school volunteer committee that launched the volunteer program in the schools including the school/community/business partnerships. Consequently she served on the GTE/GHS partnership committee. She also helped with the Grinnell Peace Institute fund drive and served on the "Poweshiek Leadership Program" education committee. She also served on several school committees including the National Honor Society committee, English as a Second Language, the NCA evaluation committee, the faculty advisory committee, and was a member of the curriculum council, and chairperson of the Practical Arts committee. She was also active in GNEA serving as corresponding secretary, co vice-president and co-president and was involved in several other GNEA committees. In 1995 she attended the Teacher's Academy on Agriculture Awareness sponsored by the Farm Bureau. She also served on a fund-raising committee for the Grinnell Day Care Center. She was active in her church teaching church school to both children and adults. She also served on all major committees and was the moderator of the Gilman Community Church. She was a member of the Gilman Today and Tomorrow club, served as secretary to the Citizens Advisory Committee for SEMCO leading to the additions and remodeling of the Jr.-Sr. High facilities in 1983 and she emceed the Open House for that event. She served on the first SEMCO alumni committee. She belonged to the Sun Prairie Business and Professional Women's Club and was co-founder and active board member of the Sun Prairie Parent Cooperative Nursery School. She was also active in the PTA in Sun Prairie and SEMCO. She was a board member of Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Madison, Wisconsin and also served on the Dane County Commission on Aging in Madison. She was a member of the Sun Prairie Human Relations Council and was given honorary membership in the Sun Prairie Laity Interfaith Dialogue, an ecumenical group. She was also a member and officer of the Jaycettes. In Grinnell she belonged to the League of Women Voters, the Rotary Club where she served as a board member and assisted with the blood drives and the annual chicken barbecue, PEO, Chapter JB, Friends of the Stewart Library and the Poweshiek County Home Economics Association. She was co-founder/charter member of the Iowa and American Home Economics Association. Co-founder/charter member of the "Alone Together" a support group for the middle aged widowed. She also taught a class, "New Directions" with Rev. Jim Russell and Elaine Noe for those widowed and divorced. She helped organize a state-wide event, One-Der-Ful week-end for the widowed which was held at the Pilgrim Heights Campground. She was also active in the Jeanne Burkle Women's Center. She served on the St. Francis Advisory Committee for new retirement housing. In addition, she gave many hours of volunteer service to 4-H and had spent two summers helping her son, Steve run ten lamb camps for 4-Hers ages 8-16 from Texas, Louisiana and Georgia. She had also served