Katherine Siegele Obituary

A memorial service and celebration of life for Katherine Rush Siegele will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan.10, at the First United Methodist Church in Durango. Mrs. Siegele died peacefully in her home at her daughter's side on Friday, Nov. 28, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was 93.

Mrs. Siegele was born Sept. 17, 1921, in Pueblo, CO, to Harry T. Rush and Mabel Crick Rush. She graduated from Centennial High School and attended Colorado A&M in Fort Collins, where she completed a degree in home economics.

When she was a college senior, she moved to Southwest Colorado to serve a teaching internship at Silverton High School. The following spring, she moved to Durango, where she was a tenant with the Day Family in the old Day House at 15th Street and East Third Avenue.

Mrs. Siegele was hired the following fall as a home economics teacher at Durango High School by then-superintendent Elza "Pa" Needham. She met her future husband, Herbert Siegele, while working at Durango High School. Mr. Siegele was the band director there, and both their friends encouraged the two to date. They married on June 17, 1946, at her parents' home in Pueblo. The Siegeles were well known as the "Dancing Couple" and enjoyed the many dances that the Elks Lodge sponsored.

Mrs. Siegele was an avid gardener and a talented seamstress who sewed clothes for herself and her daughter; knitted sweaters for her husband and son, and enjoyed staying home and caring for her family. After her children left for college, she became recertified as an elementary school teacher and taught third grade for 18 years at Needham Elementary School. She was well known for her talented ability to teach reading to any child. After retiring she remained working as volunteer reading teacher for students with disabilities.

Mrs. Siegele was a 70-year member of Philanthropic Educational Organization and served four times as president; she also served as president of the Southwest Colorado Chapter of the Public Employees Retirement Association, and was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her son, Charlie Siegele; daughter, Susie Siegele; and grandson, Richard Siegele; daughter-in-law Deborah Uroda; her former daughter-in-law and grandson's mother, Rosie Siegele, all of Durango; and many other friends and family.

A private graveside service for the family was held in December. The celebration of life on Saturday is open to the public. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Hospice of Mercy.