Kathryn Johnson Welborn, age 91, of Sheffield died Monday February 11, 2013 at Mitchell-Hollingsworth Nursing Facility. Her visitation will be Wednesday, February 13th from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Morrison Funeral Home, Tuscumbia. Her funeral service will be graveside at Oakwood Cemetery, Sheffield at 12:30 p.m. with Bill Bedsole officiating.
Kathryn was born Frances Kathryn Johnson in 1921 in the McGee community on Old Savannah Highway. Her family later moved to Sheffield where she graduated from City of Sheffield Schools including Sheffield High School in 1938. That school year was punctuated by the burning of the High School Building necessitating classes being held in the Colbert Movie Theater on Montgomery Avenue. Graduation ceremonies were held in the Sheffield City Park of Whipporwill Hollow.
Kathryn attended Florence State College and Larimore School of Business. Upon graduation she became secretary to Colonel I.E. Willson who proved to be a major benefactor of Sheffield City Schools. Her career with Colonel Willson was interrupted by childbirth in 1942. Impressed by her performance as his employee, Colonel Willson helped her become employed by the Alabama State Employment Office from which she retired in 1983.
Kathryn was the daughter of George W. Johnson, Sr. and Kate Hale Johnson. She was predeceased by her husband, Ralph ( Big Moose) Welborn of Sheffield, parents and two brothers, G. W. Johnson who retired from Southern Railway and John Clifford Johnson of Elizabethton, TN. who retired from TVA following transfer from Wilson Dam to the upper Tennessee TVA tributary dams in East Tennessee. She was predeceased by nephews George Johnson and Jimmy Johnson, brothers of Jean Tanner of Tuscumbia.
She is survived by her two children, Kathy Hickman of Sheffield and William R. Welborn, Jr. of Sheffield. Grandchildren include Jim McGuffey and Charlie McGuffey of Huntsville, Bo McGuffey of San Antonio, TX. as well as William R.(Will) Welborn III of Nashville and Kate Welborn of Chicago.
Kathryn is also survived by her nephew, John C. Johnson, a retinologist and owner of Johnson Eye Clinic in Johnson City, TN.
During her retirement Kathryn particularly enjoyed assisting with Ritz Theater sales supporting Tennessee Valley Center for the Arts as well as participation in classes and groups associated with the First United Methodist Church of Sheffield, where she was a lifetime member.
Kathryn loved her parents, extended family, co-workers, children and grandchildren. She loved feeding birds, adopting abandoned dogs and cats, and Alabama football.
Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
Memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church of Sheffield, Sheffield Public Library, Tennessee Valley Center for the Arts or to charities of your choice, in particular those who give sustenance to the abandoned and downtrodden, be they humans or other of God’s creatures.
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