Kathryn Castle

Kathryn (“Kathie”) Emily Castle, née Wetzel, of Holland, Michigan, passed away early on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, after living with the progressive effects of Alzheimer’s disease. She was 77 years old.

Kathie was born in Toledo, Ohio on February 9, 1942. She graduated from Libbey High School, where she served in her senior year as editor of the school newspaper. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work at the University of Toledo. After graduation, Kathie was a caseworker for the Lucas County Child Welfare Board.

Kathie married Richard (“Rich”) Mabry Castle in Toledo on December 30, 1967 and moved with him to Manhattan Beach, California. There they had one son, Robert. The family subsequently lived in Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Charles, Missouri; and Champaign, Illinois.

Kathie and Rich fulfilled a long-held dream of retiring to Michigan, living in Zeeland before finally moving into Freedom Village senior living center in Holland.

Kathie was a wonderful wife, mother, sister, aunt and friend, and loved writing long letters to her friends and family. As a young woman, she had an adventurous spirit, leading her siblings and friends on adventures all over Toledo. She had the “gift of gab” and never met a stranger. As an adult, she was active in the American Association of University Women, and she worked for many years at JC Penney, where she enjoyed both chatting with customers and getting discounts on clothing.

She is survived by her son, Robert; her daughter-in-law, Shannon; her granddaughters, Winifred and Ryan; her twin sister, Karen Yanney; her brother, Thomas Wetzel; her sister, Ginger French; her sister, Holley Adcock; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rich, and her parents, Kenneth and Arlene Wetzel.

A memorial service for Kathie will be held for family and friends at a later date at St. Pauls United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois.

Memorial donations may be made in Kathie’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/. Arrangements are by Dykstra Funeral Home – Downtown Chapel. To sign an on-line registry or leave a memory please visit www.dykstrafuneralhome.com