Catherine L. Boddicker, 87, who for most of her life called Cedar Rapids, IA, home, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 26, 2024, in Greenville, MS. She had resided there for three years, and was unimpressed by grits but learned to enjoy mustard greens.
Cathy was born Nov. 6, 1936, on the farm in Cottonwood, IA, the daughter of Joseph and Eleanor (Menke) Rueter. She graduated from St. John's High School in Houghton, IA, and married Jim Boddicker at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids in 1959. Although their paths diverged, the legacy of their union lived on in devotion to their three boys.
Cathy determined that these boys should be educated and make something of themselves. Collaborating with family, friends, teachers, and priests, she wasn't afraid to occasionally take the word of this "village" over that of her own young scoundrels, though her true loyalty never wavered. She imparted critical life values in a suburban Arizona Avenue home imbued with a Depression-era farmstead ethos. "Put your back into it. If you'd quit complaining, you'd already be done. Let's just get it done. Are you done yet?" She led by example, supporting the boys through the early morning dark in a '66 VW with no heat and rusted floorboards as they plowed through frozen snowdrifts and bitter winds delivering metric tonnes of Sunday newspapers. "Doesn't it feel good to be done?" she'd say afterward. Then she'd buy warm donuts to celebrate, and it did. There was always "half a beef" in the freezer and she and her beloved mother and sisters talked and laughed as they canned bushels of corn, tomatoes, and green beans, loading the basement shelves. Cathy made a loving home for her boys. She welcomed their friends, then later their wives, children and grandchildren, and kept up with her nieces and nephews who were always there for her in her later years. Cathy took pleasure in hearing of everyone's endeavors, took pride in their achievements, and offered support during their challenges. "You can do it, honey. You're tough," she'd say. She certainly was.
Cathy retired after a long career at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, where she was a customer favorite. Never one to sit still, she became self-employed in childcare, and much like her own, she poured the love into her "babysitting kids." One expects many still know all fifty state capitals and aren't afraid to try new things as they go through life. The farm girl left her outsized mark on the world.
She was a long-time member of St. Pius X Catholic Church.
Survivors include her children, Gary (Deb) Boddicker of Greenville, MS, Daniel (Thais) Boddicker of Lake Bluff, IL, and Bradley (Betsy) Boddicker of Carlsbad, CA; seven grandchildren, Caleb, Carson, Lake, Ela, Keaton, Drew, and Quincy Boddicker; and two great-grandchildren, Bo and Ry Boddicker.
Cathy was preceded in death by her parents; and siblings, Bill and Carl Rueter, Tina Weepie, and Irene O'Connor.
The family would like to thank the staff at The Pinnacle of Greenville for all the love and care they showed Cathy.