Catherine Mary Fedorchak Sowers

Catherine Mary Fedorchak Sowers, a longtime resident of Redlands, CA, died following a brief illness on June 28 in Fallbrook, CA. She was 88.

One of five sisters born to the Gromala family, originally of Lodz, Poland, she was born on November 23, 1918, in Chicago, IL, and grew up in Hobart, IN, where she attended school and later met and married John Fedorchak in 1937. She moved with him and their two young sons, Raymond and Franklin Joseph “Joe,” first to Phoenix for her husband’s health and then to California in 1948, settling in Redlands.

With her sister, Josephine “Josie” Kasper, she attended and graduated from the Phyllis Adair College of Cosmetology. Both became hairdressers and worked for many years in established Redlands salons.

In addition to her love for her work as a hairdresser, she also took great pleasure in knitting and crocheting colorful afghans, shawls and slippers for all the members of her family. She especially enjoyed dancing the polka and listening to music of her favorite Polish composers. Following the death of her husband in 1963, she later met and married Frank Sowers, who worked for many years, farming in Redlands, Yucaipa and surrounding areas.

Together, they took family trips to Yosemite in their travel trailer, several cruises, traveled around the world, including a trip to Lodz, and lived on the island of Oahu, HI, where they spent the greater part of each year. While living in Hawaii, she often wrote letters and postcards home about her appreciation for the Hawaiian people, the beauty of the tropical flowers, the delight of taking short road trips around the island and her fascination with looking at the stars and the moon over the ocean.

After the loss of her husband in 2000, she returned to their home in Redlands and remained active in the Sacred Heart Church, where she had been a devout member since 1948. In the summer of 2006, she moved to Fallbrook to be closer to her sons, Ray and Joe, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by sisters Irene Swinger and Josephine Kasper, formerly of Redlands; sister Jean Mann; and brother Eddie Gromala. She is survived by sister Florence, Chicago, IL; sons and daughters-in-law Ray and Charlene Fedorchak and Joe and Penny Fedorchak, both of Fallbrook, CA; niece Diane and husband Al Rezendes, Yucaipa, CA; Gary and Marylynn Sowers, Redwood City, CA; and Linda and John Martin, Palmdale, CA. Grandchildren include Susan Henderson, Valley Center, CA; Katie Carpentier, Ohio; Lorie Corica, Encinitas, CA; Stephanie Trogden, Vista, CA; Kellie Best and Scott Martin; and David Sowers and Allison Sowers. She is survived by 15 great-grandchildren.

A Mass was celebrated on July 10 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Fallbrook. Internment will follow at a later date at Hillside Cemetery in Redlands.