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Marion Foster (Dimond)
RIP Cathy Weirich, who started the All '60s Parties downtown. It's ironic she fell very ill around the time of the '60s party, fighting leukemia. Reminds me of timing a few years ago when we lost our class' tireless reunion volunteer Dave Whipple soon after that party.
Catherine Ann (Scoggins) Weirich-Alton, 72
Cathy Weirich, our loving Wife and Mother has been called to Heaven and will now be rejoining her family in the presence of God the Almighty Father following a culmination of ongoing physical setbacks. She died peacefully at the Alton Memorial Rehabilitation Center on College Avenue at 1:55 pm on October 9th with family by her side.
Cathy was born on March 4th, 1949 in Shawnee, Kansas. She was preceded in death by her parents Walter and Mildred (Harvey) Scoggins, her older siblings “Lem” Scoggins, Mary Jane Haycraft, Michael Scoggins, and her niece Laura Thomas.
A near lifelong Alton resident, her smile and zest for life, her love and devotion to her extended family, passion for gardening, music, dancing, arts and crafts, and cooking will be missed by all.
She leaves behind her dear loving husband of over 52 years to Gregory Charles Weirich 72 of Alton and a nephew Michael (Mary) Jenniches of Alton, who she raised as her own. Corey Jenniches of Alton and Claire Jenniches of Chicago.
Cathy graduated from Alton High School in 1967 and met the love of her life, Greg Weirich, a year later, following a horrific car accident in which he barely survived and they soon married. Almost overnight and without hesitation, she took in and began to raise all 3 of her sister's children. She was a devout Catholic and a lifelong St. Mary's parishioner.
She attended classes at Monticello College in Godfrey, worked for a period of time for Tomboy (Pearl Market), ran an in-home daycare, Alton City Hall as the secretary to Mayor Voumard, ran a crafts business out of her home (the Pea Patch) and ultimately became the personal chef of the Priests at St. Mary's for a decade.
She had many proud accomplishments in her life. Cathy initiated, organized, and choreographed for the Marquette High School girl's first-ever Pom- Pom squad (“a Touch of Class”) in the early 1980s. She worked tirelessly alongside Greg on maintaining their huge garden and won a Pride Inc, the award for Home of the Month in July of 2011. She started and ran the “ All 60's” FaceBook page and for a decade, and with help from friends, held the “All 60's” high school reunion party downtown Alton every September. Yearly she worked tirelessly to solicit donations to give to many organizations around town or to help feed the poor, put socks on children's feet and give to the Riverbend Community Center to name a few. Her daily morning inspirational FaceBook greeting provided joy. Later in life, she turned to photography as a hobby, saw beauty everywhere she looked, and took some really amazing pictures of nature. She loved her neighbors.
Cremation will be handled by Elias, Kallal, and Schaff, interment will be private at St. Joseph's Cemetary in Alton. A celebratory mass for all will be held at St. Mary's in Alton Illinois date TBD.
In Lieu of flowers, have masses offered up in repose of her soul.
Moine McGibany's poem to honor Cathy:
A poem for Cathy
You brought us together
friends forever
You made a space
to remember long lost days
We came to meet old friends
and share memories that never end
We came to honor those long lost
and those who paid the ultimate cost
We came from all parts of town
and many different backgrounds
We came from Milton and Pietown
from Midtown and downtown
We came from all around
back to Alton, our hometown
Cathy, you made it so
with your beautiful soul
You will surely be missed
as we send you off with our love and a goodbye kiss
Moine
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