Mary "Cathy" Gehring

Mary “Cathy” Gehring, 94, of Hubbard, Iowa, went to be with her Lord and Savior on the afternoon of March 6, 2020. A memorial service for Cathy will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at the Community Church in Batavia, Illinois beginning at 10:00 a.m. with a luncheon to follow under the direction of her family.  Memorials in Cathy’s name may be directed to the Iowa River Hospice. For additional information or to send a condolence please visit www.mitchellfh.com or phone 641-844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Cathy and her family. Mary Catherine Van Metre was born to parents Raymond and Catherine Mary (Smith) Van Metre on March 23, 1925 in Clemons, Iowa on their farm just outside of State Center. Growing up on the farm, Cathy made mention that she had grown up milking cows as a chore she had. She attended school in the area where she grew up. During high school Cathy played basketball and was very good. She was into music playing the cornet and continued to be a big part of her life. If she had lived in a different time period, she had stated she would have majored in music and become a conductor. Cathy lived on the family farm until she went off to college. She went on to attend Drake University and the University of Iowa where she originally studied recreation. She late changed her major to social work. She did not find that as her passion and she returned home after a brief period in Colorado and received her degree in teaching. Cathy was united in marriage to her husband Robert Gehring in State Center, Iowa on August 20, 1950. The two had met when Cathy had decided to go to an Army dance. She had sent him a valentine a few days later which read, “If we were the only ones on a desert island, it would be the sharks for me.” Six months later the two were united in marriage. Robert and Cathy traveled a lot in their married lives and tried living in North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, South Carolina, and finally settled in Batavia, Illinois for 47 years. The two began and raised their family there. She moved back to Iowa in 2017 but always considered herself nomadic to her life in Batavia. Cathy taught kindergarten and first grade as well as some pre school classes over the years at the community church in Batavia which was later called the first congregational church. After retiring from pre school education she began giving piano lessons until her retirement when she entered her 80’s. In her free time her life was filled with family, friends, reading books, playing the piano, or playing bridge. Left to cherish her memory are her children Daniel Ray Gehring of Eldora, Iowa, and Amy Ruth Glinke, of Batavia, Illinois; her grandchildren Robert Glinke, Russel Glinke, Sarah (Glinke) O’Brien, and Heidi Gehring Aude; and 10 great-grandchildren. In death, Cathy rejoins her husband Robert and her brothers Wayne and Boyd Van Metre.