Katherine L. Gress

Katherine L. Gress nee DeGroate passed from this earth on February 14, 2026 at her daughter's home in Sycamore, IL. She was born on January 17, 1926 in Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL to William H. DeGroate and Clara E. DeGroate nee Kaitschuck. Growing up during the Great Depression they lived in many different areas of Chicago and outer suburbs and attended one room schools. At age 15 she quit high school saying she was tired of being poor, attended a secretarial school, and began her work life. With her first paycheck she bought her mother a refrigerator which her father promptly sold for a cow. Times were hard!

She worked in offices and manufacturing facilities in and around Chicago for many years. In 1943 she met her future husband, John J. Gress, in a Blue Island, IL bar in which she worked part time. On January 21, 1944 she and John were married in the Cook County Clerk's office and moved into a furnished apartment in Blue Island with their few belongings and one table On November 15, 1944 they were blessed with a daughter. Katherine went back to work in 1946 as it was difficult for her husband to keep a job with the soldiers returning from the war. A few years later her husband was able to get a job as a carpenter. They saved their money and bought a lot in Crestwood, IL and built their home from scratch paying for materials out of their paychecks each week not wanting a mortgage.

In 1962 her daughter rescued a poodle and brought it home. Katherine bought a female poodle to keep it company. The inevitable happened and they had puppies. A whole new side occupation started for Katherine. She began a dog business of selling puppies, grooming poodles, and competing in AKC confirmation shows. Eventually this became a full-time business and some years later Katherine switched her business to Papillion dogs and bred her own registered line of papillions under the Kaybar name. The last dog of her line is alive and living with friends and her line will end with Lainy. Katherine was active in the dog business for 50 years and retired at age 90 in her last show at the NIU Convo Center in 2016.

She was kind and helpful to family, friends, and neighbors which she collected over her many years. She loved her coffee, her husband, her family, her dogs, and the neighbor's chickens which she tamed and

named. She now joins her immediate family and her husband's family making the circle complete as she is the last of both families.

She is survived by her daughter, Barbara (Gress) Votaw, grandson, Mike Votaw, granddaughter, Valerie Votaw, one great grandchild, Alexis Votaw, a very few friends, many nieces and nephews and their spouses, and a special nephew-in-law, Loren Seldal.

She is preceded by her parents, her husband, seven brothers and sisters and their spouses, some nieces and nephews, many friends, and many dogs to greet her in heaven.

Oh, what she has seen in her 100 years of life! Technology the only thing to baffle her!

The family would like to thank her many doctors, the staff of Kishwaukee Hospital for the kind care she received during her many hospital stays in recent years, Dr. Bayer and the staff at the Cancer Center, Aperion Care and its doctor for several stays there, and Visiting Angels. The family would also like to thank Compassus Hospice and its doctor for its care at Aperion and in her daughter's home. We are especially thankful for her 100th year birthday celebration hosted by Compassus at Aperion Care. An achievement she was looking forward to and proud to have reached.

Per her request a private celebration of life will be held at a later date for she and her husband. Arrangements were entrusted to Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL 60115 815-758-3841.