Obituary for Katharine “Kay” Moyer-Harder

Katharine “Kay” Norma Moyer-Harder

July 31, 1927 – January 29, 2019

Katharine Norma (Kay) Moyer-Harder, formerly of Deer Creek, Oklahoma, died Tuesday, January 29, 2019, in the Brookdale Living Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, at the age of 91 years.

Kay was born on July 31, 1927, in Goessel, Kansas, to Henry C. and Martha E. (Schmidt) Voth. She was raised on a farm, along with her siblings, Harold, Louise, Vernon and Weldon. As a young girl she was precocious, learning to read at an early age. While in high school, she moved ahead a grade and graduated from Goessel High School in 1944, before her seventeenth birthday. She then entered Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, where she majored in business and secondary education. During the summer of her junior year, she traveled with some classmates to Pueblo, Colorado, where they performed volunteer work at a mental institution. She found this experience to be extremely rewarding.

While in college, Kay met Allen Moyer of Deer Creek, Oklahoma, and after graduating on June 1, 1948, they were married in Goessel on June 4, 1948. Following their marriage, the couple moved to Deer Creek where the couple entered into the Moyer family farming and ranching operation. Kay began a one year teaching career at Medford High School where she taught English to junior high and high school students. The couple started their family and Kay was a devoted homemaker, wife and mother to her three boys. The couple were active members of the Deer Creek Mennonite Church where Kay served as a Sunday School teacher and a member of the Women in Missions group. She also was elected and served as a church deacon. An excellent cook, she was noted for her baking and was awarded first place for her bread in the 1983 Oklahoma State Fair. She loved her family very much, especially her grandchildren, and enjoyed cooking their favorite foods. Following her husband’s death in 1990, she continued living on the family farm. She was later contacted by an old college classmate, Milton Harder, and after a brief courtship they were married on June 4, 1997, in Deer Creek. Kay had many hobbies including quilting, crafts, sewing, gardening, photography, attending her grandchildren’s events, baking and her volunteer work at the OP Shop in Deer Creek.

She is survived by three sons, John Moyer and wife Janne of Norman, Charles Moyer and wife Rose of Deer Creek, and Jerry Moyer and wife Ann of Bartlesville; a brother, Weldon Voth of Newton, Kansas; six grandchildren, Timothy Moyer and wife Katie of Annapolis, Maryland, Nathan Moyer and wife Sarah of Huntley, Montana, Matthew Moyer and wife Lynne of Atlanta, Georgia, Sarah Moyer of Mansfield, Massachusetts, Christopher Moyer and wife Catherine of Broken Arrow, and Nicholas Moyer of Norman; four great grandchildren, Naomi, Charlie and Joseph Moyer of Huntley, Montana, and Danica Moyer of Broken Arrow; a sister-in-law, Mary Moyer Duerksen and husband Roland of Oxford, Ohio; and beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; her second husband, Milton; and a grandson, Sean Moyer.

Services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 9th in the Medford Church of the Nazarene with Rev. Kathy Wheeler officiating. Burial will be in the Bayard Cemetery in Deer Creek.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her honor to the Oklahoma Mennonite Relief Sale or Alzheimer’s Association in c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home, 120 W. Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.

The family will greet visitors at the funeral home on Friday, February 8th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.