Catherine F. Hayen

Catherine “Cate” F. Hayen, 92, of Topeka passed away Tuesday morning, January 12, 2021 at her home in Topeka.  Cate was born March 24, 1928 in Fairmont, Minnesota the second child of Rev. William Robert and Essie Friend Thomas.  Being a preacher’s kid, she grew up all over Minnesota.  She would consider Brainard to be her hometown.   Her family moved to Maple Grove, Minnesota. While growing up, she was a counsellor at CFO at Lake Koronis.  She graduated from Osseo High School, which was down the road.  At OHS she was a varsity cheerleader and in Cates’ words, “Only because one of the other girls got pregnant and they had to find a substitute”.   She went to college at Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa where she met a young Navy veteran from Kansas.   She married Leon Hayen on August 17, 1948 in Minnesota.  Leon decided to go into the ministry, a fact Cate wasn’t thrilled about at the time, and they moved to Illinois where Leon finished college.   During his ministry, they moved to Orlando, Oklahoma, El Dorado, Pittsburg, Hiawatha, Topeka, Ottawa, and back to Topeka, Kansas.   They retired in Topeka in the house Leon built for them.

Cate was a nurse in El Dorado, Pittsburg, Hiawatha and at Stormont-Vail in Topeka.

She was a member of the United Methodist Women at all the churches Leon pastored.  Cate was a member of First United Methodist Church in Topeka where she belonged to Wesley Weds Sunday School Class and FUMC Quilters. Cate enjoyed camping which is where and when she would collect rocks and plants to take home to Kansas.  She was a long-time member of FCE, later Shawnee County Home Extension Unit.   She loved needlepoint, making lots of quilts, crocheting, anything crafty, growing house plants-- which she moved many times from town to town-- gardening, canning, growing flowers; Bachelor Buttons, Hollyhocks, Iris, Crocus and Black-Eyed Susan’s were favorites.

Cate made great cinnamon rolls from scratch, and lots of Christmas cookies, along with bread.  She was the maker of the “secret sauce”, which if you ask any family member for a description, they would be happy to share with you.   She loved to travel.  Vancouver, Canada and the Smoky Mountains were among her favorite places.  She loved baseball.   She liked to go to Royals games with the family, but she secretly loved the Chicago White Sox going way back.   Cate loved to play games with family, friends, by herself, it didn’t matter, but she was an incredible card cheat, which unfortunately her iPad wouldn’t let her do.  She was very competitive.  She was a great storyteller.

Most of all, she was a volunteer, whether at church, the Salvation Army, Lunch Bunch, Nickle a Cup, North Topeka Outreach, Topeka Rescue Mission, Christmas Bureau, or with a group called Nomads who went to help after natural disasters such as hurricanes in Mississippi or Texas.

She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren.

Cate is survived by her husband, Leon Hayen of Topeka; children, Robert Hayen and wife Sheila of Yukon, OK; Marlene O’Neal and husband Dave of Manhattan, KS, Scott Hayen and wife Kelley Jo of Topeka, and Janet Diemer of Overland Park, KS; 10 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren; one surviving brother, Jim Thomas in Minnesota; two sisters-in-law, Virginia Downing in Marion, Kansas and Carmen Parrack in Plano, Texas; one brother-in-law, Max Hayen of Marion, Kansas.

Preceding her in death are her son in law, John “Jack” Diemer; sisters, Margaret “Muggs” Simard and husband Ernie, Carolyn Reeck and husband Warren; older brother, Dave Thomas; brother-in-law, John Hayen, sister-in-law, Marilyn Geis and husband Robert.

Memorial services will be Friday, January 22, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Topeka.  Private burial will be at the Grant Township Cemetery in rural Marion, Kansas.  Services will be live-streamed at: https://www.forthegoodofthecity.org/livestream

Memorial contributions may be made to Elara Hospice or the Arbor Court Retirement Community and sent in care of the Davidson Funeral Home.  The family would like to thank the Arbor Court Staff for their commitment to the concept of “Aging in Place”, making it possible for the family to care for her to the end, and to Elara Hospice for their support as well, especially Chaplain David.  davidsonfuneral.com.