Cathy Sturgeon Howard was born in Enid and grew up on a family beef and dairy farm in Lacey, Oklahoma. Her parents, Jack and Midge (Craddock) Sturgeon, raised three children on the farm: Cathy, Tom, and Nora. Cathy graduated from Lacey School in 1967 and went on to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, where she obtained her B.S. in Elementary Education. She taught for 38 years before retiring in 2011, with her career including positions at Smith Center Public School in Kansas and Deer Creek/Lamont Public School (DCLA) in Deer Creek, Oklahoma. The last 33 years of her teaching career were spent at Dover Public School, where she also earned a M.S. in Educational Administration from Oklahoma State University in 1992. Cathy served as the elementary principal at Dover for several years and treasures the friendships she formed with students and parents throughout her career.
Horse racing has always been another passion of Cathy’s. Coming from a long-time horse family, she has worked various jobs at racetracks across the country for over 30 years. Her most recent position was as a license clerk for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Association. After the approval of pari-mutuel racing in Oklahoma, Cathy became the first female paddock judge, serving at Midway Downs in Stroud from 1987 to 1989. She has also worked as an outrider, pony person, and hot walker.
Volunteerism plays a significant role in Cathy’s life. She has been an active member of the Hennessey First Baptist Church, Hennessey United, Hennessey Friends of the Library, Kingfisher County Retired Educators Association, and the Cimarron Valley Cemetery Association. Cathy organized the Hennessey Hometown Hootenanny, which ran from 2004 to 2017. After retirement, in order to continue serving the children of the state, Cathy became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court and foster care.
Cathy is also an avid traveler, having visited 46 states and six continents. She has ridden an elephant in Thailand and a camel in the Sahara Desert. She owns and operates a “Centennial Farm” in Lacey. Undoubtedly, her most fulfilling accomplishment in life has been motherhood. She has one son, Justin Howard, who lives in the Woodward area. Cathy always has a warm smile, just like her mother did! She loves her family and neighbors and is always willing to help others. Cathy is an inspiration to many, exemplifying how to treat people with kindness and advocate for what is right. She is a beautiful person, inside and out!
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