Kathryn Freeh Smith, 91, of Bethlehem, passed away Wednesday, November 27, 2019, in Cedarbrook, Fountain Hill.  She was the wife of the late Frank D. Freeh and Garrett K. Smith.

Born in Hellertown, she was the daughter of the late C. LeRoy and Stella (Wack) MacMurtrie.

Kathryn was employed as the executive secretary for United Cerebral Palsy for many years.

A member of Central Moravian Church, she formerly sang in the church choir.  She also sang in the Bach Choir for 25 years, and in the St. Matthew's Lutheran Church Choir when she belonged to that church.

Surviving are daughter, Dianne Lexo of Coopersburg and Karen Votta of Bethlehem; a son, Mark Freeh of Bethlehem; a brother, LeRoy C. MacMurtrie of Bethlehem; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 4, in the Pearson Funeral Home, 1901 Linden Street, Bethlehem, followed by interment in Union Cemetery of Hellertown.  Family and friends may call Wednesday from 10 a.m. until service time.

KATHRYN'S STORY

Kathryn E. MacMurtrie was born January 8, 1928 to Stella and Clayton MacMurtrie in the Hellertown family home. The oldest child to her brother LeRoy and sister Mildred, the family would become a single mother household, a family of modest means raised by a strong woman with a stalwart work ethic and a solid grounding in the Lutheran Church. In some significant sense, our mother's life would reflect the same strength of character and love of church and sacred music passed on by her mother. These characteristics and passions would serve her well throughout her entire life.

St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Locust St. Bethlehem, was the family's spiritual center. Built by Kathryn's grandfather William Wack, groundbreaking was in 1918. St. Matthew's Pastor, the Reverend Dr. William Berkemeyer became a mentor and lifelong friend to Mom along with his vibrant and spirited wife Mary Frances.

She began singing for the Bach Choir of Bethlehem in 1947, at the age of 19, under the direction of the celebrated Dr. Ifor Jones, where a special bond developed between them. His demanding style brought out her best, lifting her to fulfill her full potential as a soprano in this world-class choir. She followed Ifor to sing in the Cantata Singers of Quakertown after he left the Bach Choir in 1969.

Kitty, as her classmates called her, graduated from Bethlehem High School in 1945. She was spotted by Frank Freeh from the windows of Wienland's Hardware store walking in downtown Bethlehem, to and from her job at UGI Gas Company. Frank a Roman Catholic and Kathryn a Lutheran, were married on September 9, 1950, a controversial choice at the time.

Both continued to worship in their respective faiths, yielding a rich tapestry of family experiences. Raised Roman Catholic as children, our entire family sat together throughout the years in St. Anne's Catholic Church, at St. Matthew's, and while attending Christmas Eve midnight Mass at the Mary Immaculate Seminary outside of Northampton. Mom loved the High Mass where she enjoyed the same majesty that she experienced while singing Bach's Mass in B Minor in Packer Chapel, Lehigh University.

Childhood memories include the scrumptious smells of tasty apple pie, listening to the Bach Choir with Grammy on a blanket outside Packard Chapel and the sounds of Mom moving through the house singing scales before rehearsals. Christmas morning breakfast packed into Grammy's little apartment filled with the smells of  homemade sweet and gooey baked raisin bread, summer picnics at Monocacy Park, and cousins playing together throughout the year was a way of life for us. Mom was a skilled seamstress who created and repaired childhood outfits, her own clothes, as well as beautiful bridal and bridesmaid gowns for her daughter's weddings.

Kathryn started working outside of the home in the early seventies at the Bethlehem Public Library, became Executive Secretary at United Cerebral Palsy in the mid-seventies and the secretary for the St. Luke's Hospital volunteer department in the early 80's until 1991.

The ultimate test of her strength was when our father tragically died on January 5, 1983. It was the healing power of sacred music which would sustain her during this awful time. She joined the Central Moravian Church to be close with Dianne and sing in their magnificent choir. Upon the urging of her friend Ruth Fortino, she found the strength to tour Germany with the choir, singing in Moravian churches across the land within the year of Dad's passing.

This trip became a pilgrimage for Mom to Niederhausen, the ancestral home of the Freeh's. Her eyes sprang wide talking about riding in a Mercedes Benz "really fast" on the Autobahn to the home village of our fathers ancestors. She brought home a book of the village's history and a pewter plate with the town symbol. She would go on four other trips with the Central Moravian Choir; East Germany and Russia, Canada, England, and Jamaica.

She married Garrett Smith in 1992. A friend from high school, he was a loyal spouse for twenty five years. They enjoyed watching birds together, going to Liberty High football games, Grenadier band concerts, and were involved in their class reunions. They embarked on several trips traveling across the country. She enjoyed their seven summers living near and walking on the beach collecting sea shells in North Carolina. Garrett was a dedicated caregiver as her health slowly failed over the years until he died following a stroke at the age of 91 in December, 2016.

Mom's bright smile endeared her to the wonderful aides that loved her as their own at Cedarbrook Nursing Home in Fountain Hill, where she lived out her life.  Leaving five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, the legacy of her life is that she lived it on her own terms.  She will be greatly missed.