Katharina (Ascherl) Joswick

Katharina Joswick (née Ascherl), aged 93, passed away unexpectedly and jarringly on July 6, 2024, in Silver Spring, MD, following hospitalization for complications of sepsis. She was born in a Bavarian village on the outskirts of Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Germany, on March 20, 1931, as the second child of twelve (five girls born between 1929 and 1936 followed by seven boys during the decade from 1937 to 1948 ). Her mother Maria once revealed the rather intriguing fact that Katharina was born smiling in contrast to the wailing of her siblings. That she entered the world so amicably seems emblematic of her nature. For decades, medical researchers have dismissed the notion that the smile of a newborn could have any social significance, but a recent medical study concluded that such facial expressions are not merely reflexive but may well be an early manifestation of personality. In retrospect, it seems that Katharina's auspicious smile at her debut in the world was a harbinger of her captivating personality, indomitable spirit, and overall joie de vivre. People who met her only briefly seemed captivated by her presence and striking agelessness. Her manner seemed to radiate God's goodness and to inspire and renew hope. No one could believe she was a nonagenarian.

Following her general education at schools near or in Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Katharina attended business school in Weiden and learned English. She was employed in Weiden as a sales clerk at Sonna Geschenke und Haushaltswaren (gifts and housewares) in the late 1940s. She married Chester Joswick from Chicago, a soldier she met during his Army assignment with U.S. troops in postwar Germany, and in 1951 their son John was born in Weiden. Katharina emigrated to the United States in 1952 after the reassignment of his father to the United States for training as a Nike Hercules missile launch control officer who served on Army installations in Texas, Illinois, New York, and Maryland as well as in Baumholder, Germany. After her marriage, Katharina dedicated herself to homemaking and immensely enjoyed revisiting Bavaria nearly every autumn with her husband and subsequently with John.

For more than two decades Katharina led the typically nomadic life of a military spouse and resided in Illinois near Chicago, in Texas on the outskirts of the White Sands Proving Ground, on bases in Germany, at Fort Totten in New York, and finally in Maryland outside Fort Meade, where her husband served before retirement from the Army. She was an archetypal war bride and often recounted her experiences of the war years such as seeing the sky being illuminated by the bombing of Nuremberg that was visible for more than 100 miles. In 2016, she and John recorded these reminiscences in German for the OTV regional television network in Weiden along with some reflections on the evolution of Weiden over the decades. These programs are accessible via the links https://www.otv.de/mediathek/video/oberpfaelzer-heimat-vom-12-10-2016/ and https://www.otv.de/mediathek/video/weiden-waehrend-des-2-weltkriegs/. Please note that these videos were archived recently by the television production company but should be restored permanently later this year.

Katharina was a parishioner at Saint Mary of the Mills Church in Laurel, MD. She is survived by her son, seven brothers, and numerous nieces and nephews and was preceded in death by her beloved spouse Chester, a sister-in-law, and four sisters. As far as can be determined, she was the longest surviving member of the Ascherl family.

Katharina will be sorely missed by John in particular, who finds the loss heart-rending and is beyond consolation for the death and its worrisome implications for the future, as well as by her other remaining relatives and all those who encountered her. She was a nonagenarian like no other and left an indelible impression even on those who interacted with her briefly for her charisma, courtesy, and empathy. She had the uncanny ability to lighten the burdens of others. Her identifications of herself as a 93-year-old person in recent months were invariably greeted by disbelief. Indeed, a German security guard a few years ago signing John in for access to a military base would often ask if he were being accompanied by his daughter. Despite cardiac issues, Katharina's resilience and stamina rarely seemed to falter, and only a few days before her final illness she managed to complete her rigorous housecleaning routine and then to shop at the Fort Meade commissary assisted by John.

Visitation will be held at Donaldson Funeral Home in Laurel, Maryland, on Sunday, June 21, 2024, from 12 to 4 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow on July 22, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Resurrection of Our Lord Church in Laurel, MD. Interment will take place at Meadowridge Memorial Park in Elkridge, MD, at 1 p.m. on the same day. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers ( https://maryknollsociety.org/how-support/ ) and Baltimore classical radio station WBJC ( wbjc.com/tribute ), as requested by her son John to honor Katharina's memory.