Katherine E is no stranger to hard work. The first born of three kids in Searcy, Arkansas, she went on to become the first female employee at Arkansas Power and Light.
“I was the only person to be put on the cover of their magazine, except for the president of the company. I still have a copy,” Katherine said.
After working at Arkansas Power and Light, Katherine decided to take on another first as Arkansas’ first female state trooper.
“I had a friend ask me if I had ever thought about working for the state police,” Katherine said. “They gave me my own car. They all treated me like I was one of the family.”
Before entering the work force, Katherine grew up on her parents’ farm, learning how to take care of herself. She spent her childhood chopping and picking cotton, just to mention a few of her regular responsibilities. Katherine also picked up whatever she could from her father as he worked around the farm.
“If my dad was working under the car, I went under there with him,” Katherine said. “If he opened up the hood, I stood up on the bumper next to him.”
Katherine lived on the farm until she married her first husband, but it wasn’t until 1978, after marrying her second husband, that she moved from her home state of Arkansas to Oklahoma, where she took a job as a security officer at the OU Health and Sciences Center.
Katherine has lived in her current home for over seventeen years, where her three children and grandkids still come to visit. She spends her time now cheering on the OKC Thunder and staying connected to friends through phone and even Facebook.
In 2000, Katherine suffered a heart attack, and while she was still able to take care of herself, it slowed her life down. Six years later, she was diagnosed with histoplasmosis, which left her even more limited in her daily activities.
“I built the shed out back and laid the patio by myself,” Katherine said. “You should have seen the state of this place when I first moved in. I did all of the work on it until recently.”
On Rebuilding Day, a volunteer team will remodel the interior of Ms. Katherine’s home. Our volunteers will patch cracks in the walls of her home, paint the interior, help to clean and declutter her carport, and also repair her outdoor shed.
To help support our work on Katherine’s home and many more like it in the OKC metro on Rebuilding Day, you can donate today and a generous donor will match your financial contribution dollar-for-dollar!! Are you up to the challenge?! Click here to DONATE NOW!