Kathryn Gastrell, 95, gained her wings on Aug. 10, 2020, at Bedford Care Center in Hattiesburg. 

Kathryn was fondly known as Miss “Kitty.” She was an incredible child of the Lord and served Him her entire life. She never missed a Sunday at the four Episcopal churches she attended during her life. She was born in Sunflower County on May 17, 1925.

She was preceded in death by her parents,  Nannie May and James Caldwell; three sisters,  Julia, Martha, Virginia; her brother,  Wilson; and her husband,  Charles S. Gastrell.

She moved to Vicksburg at age 18 and worked as a lab technician at Mercy Hospital where she met her beloved husband, Charles “Chuck.”

When Charles moved back to Vicksburg after the war, they married on July 11, 1946. After marriage, they moved to Washington D.C. where he attended Georgetown University. During this time Kitty worked at the Internal Revenue Service where she won the title of Mrs. Internal Revenue. Kitty then began her family. She had three children,  Lynda, Charles “Buck”, and Charlotte.

She stayed home with her family for the next 17 years. She became the most wonderful and cherished mother to her children.

Once her children were in school she began her second career as a business manager at Burgandy Farm County Day School. She spent the next 15 years here before retiring to Vicksburg in 1980.

She and Charles retired to Vicksburg to spend time with family and friends. She spent the next 34 years in Vicksburg being the most loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to her seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

She spent retirement cooking, entertaining and traveling. She and Charles especially loved traveling on cruises and dancing in the “PaddleWheelers  Square Dancing” and Round Dancing. In 2014, she moved to Hattiesburg where she spent her remaining years. Kitty loved life and life loved her.

Her memorial service will be held in the chapel of Fisher-Riles Funeral Home, 5000 Indiana Ave.,  Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, at 2 p.m.

Graveside services will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Charles White, Austin Gastrell, Aden Clark, Cory Clark, Jordan Brunt and Jeff Wong.

Due to COVID-19 there will be no visitation prior to her celebration of her life.