Katherine Jenny Buchmann

Katherine Jenny (Katie) Buchmann, 92, Rockford passed away Friday, October 17, 2008, in Rockford Memorial Hospital.  She was born May 13, 1916, in Beloit, WI, the daughter of Sebastian and Maria (Sammartano) Alis. She married John Buchmann on April 26, 1941, in Rockford. He passed away at the age of 42  on November 19, 1957. Katie went by many names to many people. Wife, mother, daughter, sister, mother-in-law, aunt Katie, nana, Tina, Katie, Katherine, friend, neighbor, confidant, patient, client, Democrat, life-long student, cook, sports lover, dancer, patriot, advocate, gardener, seamstress, wood refinisher, reader , community advocate, coffee drinker, party girl""¦.. The nouns could go on and on for our mother. She was a spark plug and loved to be where the action was. Katie was not afraid of controversy, if it meant someone was being helped.  When the Rockford Public Schools were accused of not being fair and equitable to all students, she joined a committee to research the issue.  She believed in education and fairness to all students. Katie believed in education above all. As a junior in high school, she was asked by her parents to quit school at the years end.  Times were tough and she needed to go to work. She was devastated and determined to finish school one day.  When our brother, Frank, graduated from Rockford West High School, mom was right there with him.  She received her GED and finally had her diploma.  Katie was thrilled when Rock Valley Junior College opened because it meant that she could finally go to college and she did just that.  She studied at the dining room table with all of us. Education was sacred to her and we all knew it. There were two events in the past year that our mom would never forget.  One was the Perry Como concert. She could hardly contain herself through the concert and then she met him and received a kiss from him.  Katie was on cloud nine!  The most recent event was when she went to see Barack Obama.  Her daughter, Kathie, took her to see him at the Rockford Public Library.  She had her picture taken with him by the AP reporter and it appeared in newspapers all over the U.S. In fact her Godson, who lives in Arizona, saw it and gave her a call. That was our mother.  She never wanted to be forgotten and she never will be.   She is a part of so many people in this world.  It is as if she is a thread in the quilt of life, touching so many.  Katie made her mark in this world and it is a better place because she was in it. She was employed throughout the years by Rockford Public Schools, Head Start, Lenz Pharmacy, and Ingersoll Milling and Machine. Katie was a member of St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Lithuanian Club Auxiliary, Montague House Mothers Club, YMCA, Edgewater Neighborhood Association, The Wesley Willows band. She is survived by four children, Frank (Julie) Buchmann, Kathie (Ronald) Mattison, Marie(David) Mattison and Tom Buchmann; grandchildren, David-John Mattison, John Buchmann and Patrick Mattison, Alison (Nick) Njoro, Rebecca (Bill) Cartwright and Katherine (Jay) Tillmann; great-grandchildren, Abigail and William Cartwright, Wanjiru Njora, and Buddy Buchmann (Toms dog sisters, Dee Povalitis and Jo Baranauski, sister-in-law Bernice Falzone; many nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews, the Giuseppe Ales family in Marsala, Sicily, Bob Sharp family and her beloved cousins from Chicago. Katie was predeceased by her husband, John, parents, brother, John Alis, Bernice and Frank Buchmann, many brothers-inlaws and sisters-in-laws and Toms dog, Archie. Funeral Mass will be 9:30 AM Saturday, October 25, 2008, in St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 1010 Ferguson St. Rockford, IL 61102, with the Franciscan Friars officiating.  Burial in Calvary Catholic Cemetery.  Visitation from 4PM until 8PM Friday, October 24, 2008, at Fitzgerald Funeral Home and Crematory, Rockton Chapel, 3910 N. Rockton Rd. Rockford, IL 61103 and from 9AM until service time on Saturday at the chu