Catherine Terrel; humor and work ethic say it all

Catherine Terrel was born and raised in Modesto, California. She grew up with her mother, grandmother and sister. She learned at the age of seven, after losing her father, that four women could accomplish anything; if it needed to be done the girls just got it done.

Catherine Terrel

Cathy met Robin Falynay in Modesto and came to Kanab area in 1983. They went to work for White Water River Expe­ditions working for Robin’s brother. The pair worked the river during their summers returning to Califor­nia in the winter. She worked with White Water until 1988.

1983 was Cathy’s first trip down the Colorado River. With an above average snow­pack water levels were rising higher and faster than expected at Glen Canyon Dam. The dam crew got creative and lined the dam with 4x8 feet sheets of plywood averting a disaster, which proved to be the main reason the waters were kept at bay. As it was, a spillway was taken out with water running at 60 cubic feet per second (CFS) the usual release was 12-15 CFS. New rapids were formed that year due to the heavy water flow, definitely a trip to remember.

Robin and Cathy were married in 1985 and made Kanab their home. “He was my practice husband, and I learned he was what I didn’t want in a part­ner,” Cathy laughed. She then became a single mom and needed more income. She had supplemented her in­come working in the hospitality industry and she is good at it.

In 1986 she began working for Dennis and Kathy Judd, George and Lonnie Kirby and Tauk Tours at cookouts behind Denny’s Wig­wam. She loved work­ing with that crew, she, George and Lonnie be­came close friends and I’m sure there were lots of stories she could tell but chose discretion. She met Bill Terrel while dancing in 1992, they were married in 1993. Bill had been married previously to “three practice wives,” Cathy was sure to throw that out. She, Bill, Billy, Cameron and John became a family. She enjoys gar­dening and together they enjoy camping and off-road riding.

In 2017 she began looking for more work. She applied for a bus driver position. Jaimie Little, HR for Kane School District, called her, “I have a class starting in two days. Can you be there?” She took the offer, was taught to drive by Sally Brinkerhoff and has been driving buses ever since. She has great things to say about Jaimie and Sally and of course the two she began working with Clint and Anna Nielsen and later Lyle Heyborne.

Cathy’s mother, Bar­bara Franklin, was a teacher in Modesto for 36 years. She moved to Kanab eventually becoming a resident of our Nursing Facility. One of her more promi­nent elementary stu­dents was filmmaker George Lucas, who also grew up in Modesto. When Barbara passed away all her students wrote to Mr. Lucas asking if he remem­bered his third-grade teacher. One of Cathy’s regrets is the letter Mr. Lucas wrote back was lost after her death, but is still a very fond memory.