Katherine Aschaffenburg

Aschaffenburg, Katherine E. STOUGHTON Katherine Elizabeth Aschaffenburg died at home in Stoughton, on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. She had fought a long battle with cancer. Katherine was born on April 5, 1961, in Oberlin, Ohio, and was the second daughter of Walter and Nancy (nee Cooper) Aschaffenburg. She grew up in Oberlin, graduating from Oberlin High School in 1979. She went to Beloit College, majoring in geology, and graduated in 1983. She moved with a college friend to Juneau, Alaska, where she was the assistant to the director of the state fish hatchery program office. She worked as a professional editor for scientific manuscripts and journals, and headed the commercial fisheries research program. She married Brent Christopher, and had two children, Ryan, age 18, and Hannah, age 10. In 1998, the family moved back to Wisconsin, settling in Menomonie for one year, and later, Stoughton, a suburb of Madison. Katherine was the office manager for KEMA in Madison, and in 2004, she was hired by WECC (the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation), where she was a program coordinator. Katherine was dearly loved and admired by all her friends, family and colleagues. She was preceded in death by her father, Walter Aschaffenburg. She is survived by her mother, Nancy Cooper; husband, Brent Christopher; son, Ryan Christopher; daughter, Hannah Christopher; sister, Ruth Aschaffenburg; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. A gathering of friends and family was held in her honor on Sunday, March 9, 2008, at her home. The family suggests that any donations be made to her childrens emergency or education fund in the name of Hannah Christopher or Ryan Christopher.