Katherine Roenitz Chesebro, 82, of Sheboygan passed away on February 18 th . Katie
was born on December 30, 1942. One of seven children of the late James and
Josephine (Knauf) Roenitz. She graduated from St. Clement grade school in 1957
and Central/ South High in 1961. After graduating from St. Mary of the Woods
College in 1965 she joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence. After three
years of prayer and service Katie proceeded to teach grade school and high school
before studying for a Masters in Sociology and Criminology culminating with
research in the Indiana State Women’s Prison. Family, church and community
involvement were important throughout her life. During her formative years in the
convent, she learned woodworking, printing, general maintenance, finance and
prayer. She was a person of adventure, laugher and creativity. Her family jokes that
she gave the nuns at the Woods a run for their money. Katie did leave the convent
after nine years and married Robert (Bob) Chesebro at St. Clement Catholic church
on February 26, 1977.
Katie loved the joys of family. She was quite often coaching basketball, leading Boy
& Girl Scout troops, and organizing out of the ordinary excursions. She was no
stranger to hard work and seemed to find a way to make any job fun for her own
children and her nieces and nephews. Katie enjoyed playing tennis, golf, gardening
and pruning, windsurfing, fishing, fly tying and reading. She was an athlete at heart
and could fix anything. When not with her family, Katie volunteered in the community
and was committed to help those around her.
Katie battled multiple myeloma (a cancer of the bone marrow) for close to thirty
years but continued to beat the odds and didn’t let it slow her down. She lived every
day with zeal, joy and kindness. Katie is survived by her devoted husband Robert
(Bob) Chesebro, daughter Margaret (Tom) Newhard of Sheboygan and their son
Graham, son Christopher (Janine) Chesebro of Sheboygan and their children Henry,
Josephine and Louis. She is also survived by her sisters Christine and Ruth Roenitz
of Sheboygan, Robert (Joni) Roenitz of Whitefish Bay, sister-in-law Barbara
(Roenitz) Barrows of Elkhart Lake and brother-in-law Dr. Jacob Gerend of
Sheboygan.
In addition to her parents, Katie was preceded in death by two brothers James
(Barbara) Roenitz, Thomas (MaryAnn) Roenitz, sister Josephine (Jacob) Gerend,
and infant sister Margaret M. Roenitz.
Family and friends are invited to visit Ballhorn Chapels, 1201 N. 8 th St., Sheboygan,
on Friday, March 7, 2025, 4 p.m. -6 p.m. Additional visitation will take place at St.
Clement Catholic Church, 522 New York Ave., Sheboygan, from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45
a.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St.
Clement at 11:00 a.m., with Fr. Philip Reifenberg presiding. Katie will be laid to rest
at Calvary Cemetery in Sheboygan. A reception will be held at Pine Hills Country
Club in Sheboygan following Mass.
In lieu of flowers, Katie requested that memorial gifts or charitable donations be
made to St. Clement Catholic Church, Camp Evergreen or Anchor of Hope.
Please visit www.ballhornchapels.com to sign the guestbook.
Comments