Katherine Prichard Benz
February 10, 1925 - January 18, 2018
Obituary
MADISON- Katherine P. “Kitty” Benz, age 92, of Madison, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, at Oakwood Village West. She was born on Feb. 10, 1925, in Takoma Park, MD to Walter and Florence (Tolson) Prichard. After graduation from Coolidge High School in Washington D.C. in 1942, she attended the University of Maryland, graduating in 1947. Kitty was employed as a social worker in Baltimore before coming to Wisconsin, where she obtained her Master’s Degree in Social Work from UW-Madison. She was married to Norman Benz on May 26, 1951 in Maryland. She was employed as a child welfare worker for the State of Wisconsin and also with Lutheran Welfare. Later she worked as a school social worker. Kitty enjoyed watercolor painting, genealogy research, jewelry making, gardening, and sewing. She and Norm loved spending time at their home on Duck Creek near Wyocena, Wis. They also loved traveling, especially to Naples, Fla. Kitty was a longtime volunteer at First Call for Help and was an active member at First Congregational Church, UCC. Kitty is survived by three daughters, Laurie (Jim) Egan, Wendy (Bryan Biggers) Benz, and Debbie (Kurt) Boettcher; seven grandchildren, Paul (Megan) Egan, Sara (Tim Connolly) Egan, Jeff (Tiffany) Egan, Carl (Liz Sullivan) Biggers, Eric Biggers, Brent (Stephany) Boettcher, and Blake (Mollie) Boettcher; three great-grandchildren, Adele Egan, Willow Egan, and Kai Egan; sister, Dorothy Gretz; brother, Walter M. (Audrey) Prichard; and many relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman Benz; father, Walter Prichard; mother, Florence Prichard; brother, Roger Prichard; and sister, Isabel Radford. Funeral services will be held at OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY WOODS, RESURRECTION CHAPEL, 6205 Mineral Point Road, Madison, at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, with the Reverend Eldonna Hazen and Chaplain Martha Nack concelebrating. Burial will be held at Highland Memory Gardens. Visitation will be held at Oakwood University Woods on Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service. The family wishes to thank the staff at Covenant Oaks Memory Care for their compassionate care of Kitty and a very special thank you to Wendy for all her time and devotion to mom. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Oakwood Foundation - Memory Care or to the First Congregational Church, UCC, Madison,Wis. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Events
Visitation
Tue Jan 23, 2018 @ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM CDT
Oakwood Village West - Resurrection Chapel • 6205 Mineral Point Rd., Madison, WI 53705
Service
Tue Jan 23, 2018 @ 11:30 AM CDT
Oakwood Village West - Resurrection Chapel • 6205 Mineral Point Rd., Madison, WI 53705
Photos
No photos of Katherine have been shared yet.
Memories
MM
Mel Morgenbesser
Other •
On behalf of the UW-Madison's School of Social Work, we offer our condolences to the family of our alumna Katherine "Kitty" Prichard Benz., who received her MSSW degree in 1951. In 1996 she established the "Katherine Prichard Benz Scholarship Fund" which funds an annual scholarship for a social work student, who, like Kitty, is working to support herself through school. To date more than 30 students have received the Benz Scholarship.
TN
Tom Neuman
Other •
It was a pleasure to have two such fine individuals as Norm and Kitty were, as neighbors. Truly kind and generous souls. Our condolences.
Tom and Michelle Neuman Rio WI
KP
Karen Peterson
Other •
Fran J. and I volunteer at the memory unit at Oakwood and hold a "sing-along" most Tuesday evenings. We are in our 9th year and Kitty was always a faithful participant - often sitting in the piano room waiting for us. She is the resident who has been with us the longest - all 9 years - and was the only one who went back to when my mom was at Covenent. She will be missed by Fran and me on Tuesday evenings ! Our condolences to her family. Karen Peterson
ER
Erna Rosten
Other •
I met Kitty and Norm through my genealogy research of the Benz families, which eventually led to a visit at their home in Rio WI, and later in their home in Madison. They, in turn, visited us in Tucson AZ in 1998. Kitty generously shared with me all the data she had on the Benz families. We kept in contact over the years, it was always a joy to hear from Kitty. She was an accomplished genealogist, having published her family genealogy and registering it with the Library of Congress circa 1997.
I remember her as a sweet, kind, fun loving and very intelligent lady. I feel fortunate to have had her as a friend. My condolences and God's Blessing to her family. Erna Benz Rosten