Catherine S. Sterba

Born Nov. 6, 1946, in Morris, Ill., Catherine was a daughter of the late Vincent and Alice Debelak-Biros. She was raised and educated in Mazon, where she graduated from MVK High School with the Class of 1964.

On June 13, 1964, Catherine married Ron Dearth in Assumption Catholic Church in Coal City, Ill. It was then on Sept. 9, 1998, that she married her second husband, James Sterba, in Morris.

Catherine was a member of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church and will be remembered as a lifelong mother and homemaker. She enjoyed gardening and sewing, as well as fossil and rock hunting. Catherine was known as a great cook and loved being outdoors.

Survivors include her husband, James Sterba; four children, Susan (Ron) Thompson and Sheila Dearth, both of Morris, and Jason (Kelly Klover) Dearth and Eva (Dave) Black, both of Coal City; one stepson, Barry (Molly) Sterba of Diamond, Ill.; 16 grandchildren, Elizabeth Thompson, Anna Thompson, Cara Ader, Shelby Ader, Dylan Dearth, Dane Dearth, Drake Dearth, Devin Dearth, Lauren Black, Brian Black, Isaac Sterba, Diana Sterba, Samuel Sterba, Magdaline Sterba, Aiden Sterba, and Audrey Sterba; one sister, Diane (the late Donald) Francois of Braceville, Ill.; two brothers, Vincent "Butch" (Marsha) Biros and Brian (Ann) Biros, both of Mazon; and one brother-in-law, John "Lucky" Latham, of McNabb, Ill.; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Catherine was preceded in death by her parents, Vincent (1972) and Alice (1998); one sister, Stephanie Latham (1999); and a stepson, David Sterba (2007).

Visitation and video tribute will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, at Reeves Funeral Home, 75 North Broadway (one block north of Illinois 113) in Coal City. Funeral services will follow at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, in Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church, 245 South Kankakee St., Coal City. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated with the Rev. Robert Noesen officiating. Burial will be in Braceville-Gardner.