Rachel Katzer

Rachel Hill McGee Katzer, 76, died at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Columbus, MS, on February 17, 2022, following a seven-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born on June 29, 1945, at Newton, MS, to Chalmers McGee, Sr. and Beth Hill McGee.

Rachel grew up at Hickory, MS, and graduated from Hickory High School in 1963. She attended Mississippi State College for Women (now Mississippi University for Women), where she received her Bachelors of Science in mathematics in 1967.

Shortly after graduating from college, Rachel worked for the Boeing Corporation in Seattle. Next in her career she accepted a position with Lockheed Corporation in Marietta, GA, where she met her future husband, David Katzer. Rachel’s career trajectory later took her to positions with the Hanes/Sara Lee Corporation with whom she traveled extensively across the US and eventually to Insteel Industries in Mount Airy, NC.

Upon her accepting a position with Insteel, Rachel and David settled in Rural Hall, NC, where Rachel enjoyed many pursuits including gardening, photography, and welcoming family and friends to her home. Rachel and David loved to travel and visited Europe as well as many of the US National Parks. On at least one occasion, Rachel engaged in sky diving from a plane. She could also drive a tractor with the best of them. Rachel was an active member and treasurer of the Rural Hall Moravian Church as well as a volunteer with Meals-on-Wheels.

Rachel moved to Starkville, MS, in August of 2019 where she was living at the time of her death. She attended First United Methodist Church in Starkville.

Rachel’s family remembers her as being practical, well-organized, and pragmatic in everything she undertook, as well as a whiz with computers, and generous to a fault with both her time and material things when it came to family and friends.

In addition to her parents, Rachel was preceded in death by her husband David; her oldest sibling, Bettie (Keith) Wolverton; her oldest brother, Chalmers Jr.; and another sister, Sara (Henry) Moreau. 

She is survived by three brothers: William H. (Paulette) McGee of Starkville, MS; Joseph McGee of Hickory, MS; and Gene (Jane) McGee of Ridgeland, MS; two stepsons, Scott (Joan) Katzer, of Washington, DC, and Alan Katzer of Winston Salem, NC; as well as twelve nieces and nephews and many members of her extended family.

A memorial service for Rachel will be held on Sunday, February 20, 2022, at 3:00 PM at First United Methodist Church in Starkville, MS. Visitation will take place at 2:00 PM at the church.

 In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rural Hall Moravian Church, P.O. Box 487, Rural Hall NC 27045 or First United Methodist Church, 200 West Lampkin Street, Starkville MS 39759.