KATHERINE SOPHIE YANTZ BLACK

Wife of Jerry Woodard Black, AAFA #0134

1925 TX –2005 TX

 

Katherine Black, 4 April 2003

 

Jerry & Katherine Black, 50^th Anniversary, 1994

Photos from their daughter, Susanne Black Behrens

 

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Houston, Harris Co., TX—Tuesday, 29 March 2005

 

            Katherine Sophie Yantz Black, 80, a native Houstonian, passed away Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005.

            She was born March 10, 1925 to Johanna and Harry Yantz, Sr. Katherine married Jerry Black, Sr. on December 4, 1944 in New York City, NY. They had five children to whom she devoted her life. Katherine enjoyed many hobbies such as sewing, knitting, crocheting, painting, upholstering, ceramics, gardening, and genealogy. She was a former member Houston Genealogical Society.

            Katherine is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Jerry, and son, Leslie.

            She is survived by her sister, Bernice Foerster of Houston and her brother, Harry, Jr., of Paige, TX. She is also survived by 3 daughters: Susanne Behrens, of Addison, TX; Sharon Tucker and her husband Charles, of Pearland; and Shelley Chudej and her husband, Henry of Garden City, TX; and a son, Jerry, Jr. (Woody) and his wife, Sheila of Pearland. Katherine has twelve grandchildren, Kimberly Lewis and husband Randy; Troy Behrens and wife, Kelly; Cory Tucker and wife, Julie; Laura Tucker; Kelley, Lindsey, Blake, Brittney, and Brett Chudej; and Keri, Jerry, III (Jay), and Branden Black, and five great-grandchildren, Gates and Brazos Lewis; Chase Landefeld, Vance and Layla Behrens.

            Visitation was held on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 from 6-9 pm at Forest Park Lawndale. A funeral mass will be held at St. Helen Catholic Church, 2209 Old Alvin Road, Pearland, TX at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, 2005. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Assoc. or Center Serving Persons With Mental Retardation.

 

 

Photos from Forest Park Cemetery, Houston, Harris Co., TX—www.findagrave.com

Permission granted by the photographer, Cecil Vaden Jr.

 

AAFA NOTES: SSDI records confirm the birth and death dates of Katherine S. Black (SS# issued in TX), last residence Addison, Dallas Co., TX. Her daughter Sue Behrens reports that Addison was actually her residence and the mailing address for Katherine, whose last residence was Houston in an assisted living facility.

            Her husband was the Alford descendant, but Katherine was the genealogist. For most of the rest of her life after her initial correspondence in 1982 with Gil Alford, Katherine was a generous contributor of “Alford” information. She was present and an active participant at the second meeting in Houston. She also made another major and very unique contribution to AAFA and its members. At the Houston meeting she showed us all the Alford “crochet” that she had prepared. She made and donated many of them of different sizes, which we had framed and available for purchase in a “store” that we used to have at all meetings. Many members of AAFA proudly hang them in their homes. In the September 1990 issue of AAFA ACTION, p. 56, we featured Katherine’s crochet:

 

Mrs. Katherine Black of Houston, TX, AAFA Member #134, has designed and crocheted an extraordinary and unique piece of work honoring the Alford name. It is a delicate, off-white panel … with the name ALFORD crocheted in block letters in the center. When framed these pieces of handiwork make a very impressive Alford item to display in your home or as a gift. They look great against a dark background or in a clear frame against the light of a window.

 

 

            For more information about this family, see AAFA’s published genealogy, Known Descendants of James Lodwick Alford (1749–1820).

            Her husband’s Alford lineage, from his closest Alford ancestor, his great-great-grandmother: Susan 1808 NC⁵, Cade 1771 NC⁶, James Lodwick 1749 NC⁷.