Katherine Canfield

Edith Katherine Samsell Canfield, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, great-aunt and friend, was born in Morgantown, West Virginia on September 20, 1918, to Lena Blanche Phillips Samsell (age 43) and John Grove Samsell (age 58). They called her Katy or Kate as she was the baby of the family of five children (John Phillips €œJack€, Elsie Virginia €œGinny€, Lewis Hildreth €œLewie€, Theodore Roosevelt €œPete€, and Edith Katherine). She was born with red hair and brown eyes in the family home on 601 Richwood Avenue. Dr. Wade and a midwife, Mrs. Cameron attended. Her brother, Theodore, was sitting on the steps as the doctor came downstairs. When the doctor declared that he had a baby sister, he said €œtake her back, Doc€, thinking the doctor had brought her in his satchel.
Her mother, Lena, was trained in the Montessori method as a teacher at Cornell in Mt. Vernon, Iowa and studied Greek and Latin at the graduate level at the University of Chicago. She educated the children in Greek and Latin at home. Katherine's father, John, was an alumnus of West Virginia University and served as a civil engineer. He was also a gifted singer, violinist, a Gilbert and Sullivan actor, and a naturalist. Her father established a park across the street from their home and trained the children in the scientific names of many plants and trees by dropping dimes at the base of labeled trees during their walks in the park for their identification of the tree. At Woodburn Elementary School, Katherine was promoted on the day she entered school from class 1A to 1B because she had already learned so much at home.
Katherine's first solo vocal performance was at church the day she was baptized at the age of 3. As a child, she sang on the knoll post in the parlor at home. As she grew up, she sang for the Men's Bible Class of 300 where George Henry, as conductor of the orchestra, promoted her singing. She sang in the Morgantown school operettas, for her sister's sorority at West Virginia University, at Wesley Methodist Church in Morgantown, as well as solo performances at the Metropolitan Theatre. The night WWII ended, she sang the Lord's Prayer for the town's people and hit high C above C. She recalled it as a very emotional night. She was formally trained and graduated in singing from Ellsworth College. At Ellsworth, Dr. Bullock trained Katherine in the Italian bell canto method, which he had studied from a famous bell canto teacher in Italy.
In 1940, Katherine met Keith Preston Canfield, a highway patrolman who administered her test for a driver's license. They married February 22, 1941, in Iowa Falls, Iowa. They were blessed with two daughters, Virginia Katherine (€œGinny Kay€) and Patricia Ann (€œPatty Ann€). She was a devoted mother and very proud of her daughters. During WWII, she used the fabric from her performance evening gowns to sew some of the girls' clothes. One time she made a beautiful black velvet coat and long pants snow suit out of her gown for Ginny Kay.
Keith's service in the Air Force during WWII, Korea and Vietnam took them to Nebraska, France, Germany, Guam and California. While serving in all of the above assignments, Katherine led the choirs at the Base Chapels. During their time in Nebraska, she was the director of Christian education at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Lincoln where she also directed church camps for several years. She and Keith gave of their time and talents to the church youth, serving the Lord faithfully in MYF and during many summers at camp. Their involvement with the youth touched and shaped many lives. Some have called her a €˜second' mother and credit them with such accolades as €œI am, most likely, the person I am today because of them.€
Upon Keith's retirement from the Air Force, they retired to Irvine, in Orange County, California, where they enjoyed sharing weekends at Disneyland with their grandchildren. Matthew, their only grandson, coined €œGaga€ as her new name. During her time in Irvine, Katherine opened a beautiful gift store, called The House Trap, carrying notably exquisite crystals, figurines and Norman Rockwell collectible artwork. She would €˜pay' five year-old Matthew a dime to wash the windows at The House Trap so he could get an orange sherbet with chocolate sprinkles from the ice cream store next door.
In the late 1970's Katherine and Keith moved to Oklahoma City. She became involved as a volunteer for Oklahoma City University, helping to decorate and coordinate OCU's annual Mardis Gras Ball, a major fundraiser for the University. They enjoyed their four growing grandchildren, Elisabeth Katherine Walker, Anne Carter Walker, Matthew Canfield Guse, and Katherine Jean Guse, all of whom, at the appropriate time, became graduates of Oklahoma City University.
In 1995, they moved to Brentwood, California, enjoying the beautiful weather and a lovely retirement. They moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2003, where in their final years, they enjoyed the blessing of being a part of the daily life of their four great-grandchildren, James Preston Guse, John Michael Guse, Adrianna Elizabeth Guse and William David Guse.
On June 7, 2009, Katherine suffered a massive stoke following a major motor vehicle accident two days prior. On June 17, 2009, beloved Edith Katherine Samsell, affectionately called Gaga, joined the great Heavenly choir at the age of 90. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 66 years, who passed two years (to the week) prior to her. She is survived by her adoring 94 year-old brother, Theodore Roosevelt (Pete) Samsell, her daughters, Virginia Katherine Canfield Walker (and husband Jerald Carter Walker) and Patricia Ann Canfield Guse (and the late Ronald Frederick Guse), her grandchildren, Elisabeth Katherine Walker, Matthew Canfield Guse (and wife Elizabeth Rose Moseley Guse), Katherine Jean Guse Jagoe (and husband Andrew Jagoe), and Anne Carter Walker (and husband John Hooten), and great-grandchildren James Preston Guse, John Michael Guse, Adrianna Elizabeth Guse and William David Guse (all children of Matthew and Elizabeth Guse).
Edith Katherine Samsell Canfield was at all times a lady, carrying herself with grace, dignity and above all, love. Always impeccably dressed, she continually had a smile and an encouraging word. A woman of extraordinary faith and a member of what has become known as €˜The Greatest Generation€, she leaves a legacy of love, her faith in Jesus, a love for family, life, music and nature, especially birds and butterflies. As a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, great-aunt and friend, her impact and influence are evident on the remaining generations.
Katherine will be interned alongside her husband, Keith Preston Canfield, at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Services will be conducted on October 19, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. in Old Post Chapel, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
Arrangements were entrusted to Daniel C. Schaudt of Schaudt's Glenpool Funeral Service & Cremation Care. Family and friends may view the obituary and send condolences to the family online at www.schaudtfuneralservice.com