Catherine Staats

Mrs. Staats, 97 of Shelby, NC, formerly of Charleston, WV, died Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at the home of her daughter following several years of declining health. Born Jan. 7, 1910 in Huntington WV, she was the daughter of the late Edgar H. and Bertha McGlathery Thornburg.
She was educated in Huntington schools, graduated from Miss Madeira's School in Washington, DC, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA. She married Dr. Charles E. Staats of Staats Hospital in 1935, and they established their home in Charleston, WV.
A leader by nature, Mrs. Staats was a member of and served as an officer in many Charleston, WV church, civic and volunteer organizations. Among these were The First Presbyterian Church, Edgewood Garden Club, Kanawha Garden Council, West Virginia State Garden Council, Kanawha Girl Scout Council, League of Women Voters, PTA, Kanawha Medical Society Auxiliary, and the Charleston Figure Skaing Club. She was named a Charleston Clubwoman of the Year by the Charleston Gazette. She and Dr. Staats enjoyed extensive travel including taking expeditions to various areas of the world to view solar eclipses and, in the United States, following the National Figure Skating Championships.
Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, Charles Edgar Staats, and her brother, Paul Lewis Thornburg. She is survived by her daughter, Ann Evans Staats Brant and husband George of Shelby, NC; her sons, Charles E. Staats, Jr. and wife Mary Ellis Staats of Charleston, SC; grandchildren, George Evans Brant and wife Michele of Tega Cay, SC; Catherine Ward Brant of Greenville, NC; Charles Camden Brant of High Point, NC; Dr. Andrew Robertson Brant and wife Nicole of Morganton, NC; Susannah Carlyle Chesluk-Staats and husband Ben of Philadelphia; Amy Evans Staats and husband Jeff Morris of New York; and Charles E. Staats, III of Charleston, SC. In addition, she is survived by great-grandchildren, Sophie Arrington Brant of Charlotte, NC; Ethan Andrew Brant and Alexander Nicholas Brant of Morganton, NC; and Olive Margaret Chesluk-Staats and Ezra Harland cheslukk-Staats of Philadelphia.
The family would like to express special appreciation to caregivers Ann Duncan, Gail Glover, and Dorothy Black.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials may be made to Project ALS, 900 Broadway, Suite 901, NC, NY 10003 www.projectals.org ; or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 www.stjude.org