Katherine Evon Stannard

Katherine Evon (Moore) Stannard was born in Hawthorne, California on March 6, 1927 and died peacefully at her daughter Erica’s house in Lawrence surrounded by family on May 2, 2019. She was born to Clyde Myrtle Moore and Helen Kathryn LeGros. She married Jerry Wilmert Stannard on August 8, 1947 in Los Angeles, California and then left the west coast for Champaign Urbana, Illinois, where Jerry pursued his PhD in Philosophy. His teaching posts and research career led them to many locations throughout the United States and abroad. Her professional career started in Los Angeles with the Bell Phone Company; she continued with Bell after moving to Illinois and then Pennsylvania. While at Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, Katherine and Jerry’s first two children were born (Erica Grace in 1957 and Greta Elizabeth in 1959). Their third child, Daphne Evon, was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1963. The family settled in Lawrence, Kansas in 1967, with stops along the way in Baltimore, Maryland; Santa Barbara, California; Cambridge, England; Westfield, New Jersey; and Boulder, Colorado. Katherine was active in various groups (including the Friends of the Library, KU Retiree’s Group, University Women’s Club, West Hills Neighborhood Association, and the Zodiac Club), raised the children, had many, many interests and pursued them all throughout her travels, and returned to work at Southwestern Bell as a Service Representative in 1975. Her work at Southwestern Bell was recognized and she was promoted numerous times. She retired in 1987 with 25 years of service to the Bell Phone Company. Her husband, Jerry, died in 1988.

Katherine made numerous contributions to her local community, including the generous funding that helped build the Jerry and Katherine Stannard Conservation Laboratory at the University of Kansas Library, where rare and old manuscripts and books are carefully restored. Additionally, she edited Jerry’s last scholarly work that was in progress (Diseases in Western Antiquity in The Cambridge World History of Human Disease), and she collaborated with Richard Kay in compiling Jerry’s papers into a two-volume set (Pristina Medicamenta and Herbs and Herbalism in the Middle Ages and Renaissance).

Katherine was the fourth of eight children: Clyde Myrtle (Lois), William Walter (Elsie), James Guerry (Mary Ann), Herbert Frazier (Joan), Goldworth Louise (Carl), Theodore Roosevelt, Howard Warren (Ruth). Katherine adored her family and especially her three children (Erica Grace [James Oswald Schenk], Greta Elizabeth [Philip Hamm], Daphne Stannard [Bertram Charles Hirst Simon], her seven grandchildren (Nicholas James Stannard-Schenk, Nathaniel Lee Stannard Schenk, Genevieve Evon Stannard-Schenk, Cassandra Elizabeth (Hamm) Holm, Alexandra Rose Hamm, Leandra Celeste Hamm, Dylan Stannard Simon) and her great grandchild (Audrey Elizabeth Holm). As the loving matriarch of the family, she gathered the family together, with many happy times spent at the family pool on West Campus Road. Katherine will be missed by many, as she brought endless love, energy, enthusiasm, and optimism to every situation. The family would like to thank all of the hospice team from the Visiting Nurses Association who helped Katherine, especially Andy, Melissa, Mickey, Paul, and Teresa, as well as the therapists and aides from Visiting Nurses Association and Helping Hands. A special commendation goes to Dr. Charles Yockey, MD for his loving attention and care of Katherine over the years.

Memorial services for Katherine will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, May 10, 2019 at Plymouth Congregational Church, Lawrence, KS. Private family inurnment will be held at Pioneer Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the Jerry and Katherine Stannard Conservation Laboratory at the University of Kansas Library and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13^th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.

For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.