Catherine Ann Krumpos

Lifespan: 1952-10-15 — 1965-01-13

Summary

Born 15 October 1952 in Green Bay, Brown County, Wisconsin; second child of Donald Howard Krumpos and Dorothy Elaine Coppersmith. Lived with birth defects that caused mental challenges; her obituary indicates she died “in an out-of-town hospital,” consistent with the family understanding that some or all of her care took place outside the household. Died 13 January 1965 at age twelve, seven months and two days after her father’s death (11 June 1964). Private funeral services were held; Ryan Funeral Home of De Pere handled arrangements. Buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery, De Pere — Section A, Lot 50-B, immediately adjacent to her father Donald Howard in Lot 50-C. The Krumpos family stone spans both plots, with three engraved plaques: “DAUGHTER / CATHERINE / 1952 – 1965”, “FATHER / DONALD / 1924 – 1964”, and “MOTHER / DOROTHY / 1928 – 2002”. The family that did not speak of her in conversation claimed her in stone. Keith (her older brother by two years) never spoke of her in his son’s hearing. What was known of her in the next generation came through aunts and uncles, in fragments.

Relationships

• Parents: Donald Howard Krumpos (1924–1964) & Dorothy Elaine Coppersmith (1928–2002)
• Siblings: Keith Lester Krumpos (1950–2015), James Krumpos, Steven Krumpos, Debra Krumpos, Kim Krumpos, Carol Krumpos
• (Per the obituary, six siblings survived her in January 1965: James, Keith, Steven, Debra, Kim, Carol. The seventh sibling listed in Donald Howard’s file would have been born after Catherine’s death.)

Sources

Obituary (Green Bay Press-Gazette or Door County newspaper, January 1965)

Catherine Krumpos

Catherine Krumpos, 12-year-old daughter of Mrs. Donald Krumpos, Green Bay, Rt. 1, died Wednesday afternoon in an out-of-town hospital.

Survivors include three brothers, James, Keith and Steven; three sisters, Debra, Kim and Carol, all at home; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Krumpos and Mr. and Mrs. Claude Coppersmith, all of De Pere; great-grandparents, Mrs. Frank Coppersmith, and Mr. and Mrs. John Siudzinski, all of Green Bay. Her father, Donald, died in 1964.

Private funeral services will be held in the near future. Ryan Funeral Home, De Pere, is in charge of arrangements.

Other sources

• Dorothy (Coppersmith) Krumpos obituary (2002).
• FamilySearch summary record (birth/death dates, burial location).
• Find A Grave Memorial ID 123462279 — confirms birth in Green Bay, burial at Mount Calvary Cemetery (Section A, Lot 50-B).
• Photograph of family gravestone, Mount Calvary Cemetery, De Pere — Krumpos family stone with three plaques (Donald, Dorothy, Catherine).

Research Notes

• Cause of death not specified; “out-of-town hospital” phrasing in the obituary suggests she may have been receiving institutional care at the time of death. Worth investigating: Wisconsin death certificate, Brown County (would name cause and place of death directly).
• “Out-of-town hospital” is consistent with the family memory that Catherine’s daily life was outside the household, though specifics (which institution, since when) remain unconfirmed.
• The four grandparents named in the obituary establish that Lawrence Antone Krumpos, Mathilda Henrietta Schneider, Claude Coppersmith, and Mrs. Claude Coppersmith were all living in January 1965. Three of four great-grandparents named: Mrs. Frank Coppersmith (widow of Frank Coppersmith) and Mr. and Mrs. John Siudzinski.
• Plot confirmed: Section A, Lot 50-B — directly adjacent to Donald Howard’s Lot 50-C. Family acquired contiguous plots; the shared headstone spans both. Dorothy (d. 2002) presumably interred in 50-B with Catherine, in 50-C with Donald, or in an adjacent lot — unconfirmed without cemetery records, but the shared stone confirms the plot grouping.
• No photographs of Catherine herself have surfaced in the family record.