Josephine "Sister Catherine" Trtek's Obituary
Our beloved Sister Catherine was born on August 31, 1936, and went to be with the Lord on January 13, 2024.
A native Oregonian, Sister Catherine was an only child, raised in Scappoose by her parents, Joseph and Josephine Trtek. As her father was a pilot for the US Military during WWII, Sister Catherine was exposed to a lot of wordly experiences while moving from base to base and exploring the country by railroad alongside her mother. Due to the extensive travels, Sister Catherine was intially homeschooled by her mother. When Sister Catherine first attended St. Fredrick Grade School (in 3rd grade), she was so impressed by her teacher (a nun), the seeds were planted firmly for the path should would later take. Sister Catherine graduated from St. Mary's Academy, in 1954. She then enrolled in Marylhurst College, in Lake Oswego, before entering the Convent on St. Valentine's Day 1957, with the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon.
Education was something Sister Catherine felt very passionately about. She would spend decades of her life sharing her gift for teaching with countless students, having a significant impact on their life paths. In the 1960's, she began teaching music at Regis High School, in Stanton, Oregon, as well as St. Boniface, in Sublimity, Oregon. During this time, she would expose her student choirs to education on an international level, traveling with them in Europe for performances. In 1970, Sister Catherine was transferred to La Salle High School, where she taught courses on Religion and Death and Dying. In 1974, Sister Catherine transferred community and became a Sister for Christian Community where she started teaching Music in the Portland Public Schools until her retirement.
Sister Catherine helped care for both of her parents until they passed away, and later became a volunteer Chaplain at Providence Medical Center for ten years. Sister Catherine passed away at that same hospital where she had served numerous families, on January 13, 2024.
Services for Sister Catherine will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Scappoose, Oregon. A visitation will be held at 10:00 am, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00am and Committal at the St. Wenceslaus Cemetery. The church will host a reception following the burial.
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