Did you see the article in the Davis County newspaper about our friend Catherine Harvey Stirling? Don’t you love that her name is like a bird? The article doesn’t have an interview about Catherine so I’m posting one I did yesterday. You’ll see just how high Catherine has soared in life.
The founders of Fruit Heights needed 100 people to become a town. It was 1939. They were 1 person short of the goal. Luckily Ruth & Brig Harvey were expecting their first child — a baby girl. That girl, Catherine, was born and Fruit Heights became a city.
Catherine is married to Merrill Stirling, a retired school teacher (he taught at Kaysville Junior High). She graduated from Davis High School and education has always been big in the Stirling home.
Fun Facts about Catherine
Colleges Catherine has attended: 3
Degrees Catherine holds: 3
She graduated from Utah State and got her Master’s there. She got a PhD from the University of Utah. All in education. She and Merrill met at Utah State. She also attended the University of Mexico in Mexico City. They were married in Switzerland.
Catherine is ambitious and entrepreneurial
Number of businesses owned: 3, with multiple locations
She started a day care center and eventually opened 9 locations. Merrill helped with the buildings. They then opened a learning center to tutor children. Later she started a residential treatment center for young women.
She lived in Fruit Heights when it was full of fruit
There were mostly cherries but also peaches, apple and apricot orchards in the town.
Her family has deep roots in Fruit Heights
They owned many acres of land which was divided among each succeeding generation. Her great-grandfather started out as a farmer. Her grandfather died young leaving her grandmother to raise 7 children on her own. One of those children was Catherine’s dad. He had 4 daughters and they inherited the property near the LDS and Presbyterian churches.
Today her nephew and his very fit wife Madori live in the neighborhood. I see Madori working out every time I’m at the gym. My new dentist Dr. Brough in Layton, is her cousin.
Catherine is a world traveler
From Mexico to German, Central America, China, Korea and Japan she has traveled extensively and lived abroad.
Catherine is talented
She not only ran successful businesses she and Merrill raised 4 sons. She loves to cook, entertain (and does a great job at it) and has an appreciation of culture and the arts.
I want to post a photo of Catherine and Merrill and will when I get it. We’re so glad she was born and I love her independent spirit and intellect. I visited her in Bountiful where she’s recuperating from knee surgery.
Get to know Catherine — she’s a great neighbor.
Coming next: a shaved ice love shack and an interview with our humanitarian neighbor.
