Catherine Josephine Spires Pendleton

Catherine Josephine Spires Pendleton, passed away on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017, at the grand age of 101. Small in stature, but great in spirit, Catherine had boundless curiosity. She was interested in everyone, and always full of encouragement. Any visit ended with a pat on the seat and the comment, "You're a good kid!" Asked for the secret of her longevity, she replied, "Learn something new every day!"She was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on April 1, 1916, third child of George A. and Marie G. Spires. The family moved nearby to Hibbing, where Catherine learned to love books and story-telling from her beloved dad. She graduated from Hibbing High School and attended Hibbing Junior College before moving to the University of Minnesota.The Depression cost her father his business, forcing him to return to his family in Toronto for work, and her mother died when Catherine was at the University. After graduating with her Bachelor's Degree in Library Science, she was offered a school librarian position in Hibbing, and lived with her sister and brother. She often spoke of the good times they made together.Catherine met Samuel F. Pendleton, a pianist and teacher from Texas, in Hibbing and they were married on Dec. 19, 1942. They were separated for the duration of the war, when Army Captain Pendleton was stationed in England. Reunited after the war, they moved to Oakland, California, where Catherine worked as both public and school librarian. She loved teaching library skills, and had a devoted following of surprised and enlightened students.The family moved to Lubbock, Texas, in 1962, where she completed a Master of Science degree at Texas Tech University in 1966. Catherine worked in several junior and high schools in Lubbock, capping her career at Estacado High School, where she gleefully set up the brand new library. She retired in 1979, after 41 years of teaching.Sam and Catherine celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary before moving to Sun City in 1993. When Sam died in 1996, Catherine said she loved the "life of music" they had had together. As a widow, Catherine became active in the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, and took many adult education courses at ASU West and through Sun City Recreation.At 80, she began going to the gym and the pool daily, activities enhanced by the many friends she made there. She had a wonderful 100th birthday party in 2016, and was bright and strong to the end. We are grateful to the wonderful caregivers and her many devoted friends who graced Catherine's life this last year.Preceded in death by her husband, Sam, sister Ethel, brother George and son-in-law, Warren Hoffer, Catherine is survived by her daughter Mary, grandchildren Michael, Julie and Jonathan (Rachel) Hoffer, nieces and nephews Kathi Kittle, Nettie Mae Yeaman, Catherine Cagle, Peter (Jane) and Tim (Mary) Brown, and Ronnie (Elizabeth) Pendleton, great grandchildren Ilana, Talia and Alexis Hoffer, Dylan and Kaylee Murillo, great nieces and nephews, Heidi Carroll, Wendy Bianca, Jody Lantman, Amber Pendleton, Suzanne Hamilton, Amy Ross, Kenneth Pendleton, Forrest and Blair Brown, Tim, Jeff and Jay Yeaman, and great-great nieces and nephews Grace Carroll, Mason and Matthew Bianca, Madeleine and Benjamin Lantman, and Alexander Pendleton.A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, June 27, at 2:00 P.M. at the Best Funeral West Valley Chapel, 9380 West Peoria Ave., Peoria, AZ. Scott Faris, Chaplain at Reflections Hospice, will officiate. Catherine will be interred with her husband at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona at a later date.In lieu of flowers, please consider donating at the memorial service to the American Association of University Women Scholarship Program, or to a charity of your choice. Cards may be sent to 405 E. Hermosa Cir., Tempe, AZ 85282.d of Life Luthern Church, in Sun City West, where Al served as an usher for nineteen years. Memorial services will be in Illinois.