Regina Mae Catalan

On Wednesday, November 16, 2011 Grams completed her 97 year journey on this earth. She firmly believed that God sent her here to brighten the day of every person in her life and she spent her whole life doing just that. Whenever the nurses or aides at Cedar Grove or Heartland would ask what they could do for her, the reply was always “just a few kind words and a smile.” And that's the way she lived for almost 98 years. Regina Mae Catalan passed away peacefully in her sleep at Heartland of Marietta. She was born on January 19, 1914 to William Mercer and Mary Cokely Mercer in Parkersburg, W.Va. She had two brothers, Rodney and Orville, and five sisters, Pearl, Hazel, Clova, Lavina, and Oranzel. All have preceded her in death. Grams was married to Dave Ferrell who immigrated from Syria. They had one daughter, Patti. Dave passed away in 1954. Grams later married a lifelong friend, Jack Catalan whose family was of Greek ancestry. The result of the ethnic marriages was that Grams became an excellent cook. Jack passed away in 1965. In later years when she was asked about men in her life Grams replied “I had two happy marriages to two wonderful men and that's more than any woman should ask for.”Grams and her husband Dave were in the restaurant business in downtown Parkersburg for many years. One day Dave came home and said “I've bought you a present, a pawn shop.” For the next twenty years she operated “Dave's Jewelry and Loan” on Parkersburg's lower Juliana Street. In 1971 she sold the pawn shop and went to work with her daughter when they opened “Patti Johns Beau-Monde.” Grams spent the next 30 years as receptionist, greeter, advisor, and general story teller. With the inception of multi-line phones and computer scheduling, Grams decided it was time to retire. Grams is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Patti and Wayne Fort; three granddaughters, Debi Abston (Michael) of Poulsbo, WA, Beverly Frazer (Douglas) of Greenville, SC, and Cyndy Kyer (Robert) of Williamstown, W.Va. She has six great-grandchildren, Kelly, Bryan, Matthew, Mallory, Mitchell, and Shannon. She has one great-great-granddaughter, Riley Regina. A great-grandson, Shawn Custer, was taken by cancer in 1997. Grams and her family wish to thank the employees of Cedar Grove Personal Care for providing a loving environment that she called home for three and a half years, the doctors, nurses, and aids at Marietta Memorial Hospital for caring for her medical needs, and all of the people at Heartland for providing a beautiful atmosphere in which to spend her final days. Friends may call at the Lambert-Tatman Funeral Home, 3005 Grand Central Ave. Vienna, W.Va. from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, November, 18, 2011. Funeral Mass will be conducted by Father Eric Hall at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Market St., Parkersburg, on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. Grams, you will be missed.