Catharina Maria Elisabeth Otto, daughter of furniture maker Johann Carl Christiaan Otto and Geertruida Maria Philippens, was born on April 06, 1885, the oldest of eight children.

On June 30, 1909, in her birthplace Arnhem, she was married to the butcher Govert Scheffelaar, son of contractor Nicolaas Daniel Scheffelaar and Johanna Philippina Vetten.

Their only, child, Nicholas Daniel Scheffelaar (later Americanized to Scheffler) was born in the city of Bergen op Zoom, located in the western part of the Dutch southern province Noord-Brabant, on August 8, 1910. He died in 1970 in Allegan County, Michigan, USA.

On May 29, 1911, Catharina (24 years old), her husband Govert Scheffelaar (25, butcher) and their son Nicholas (8 months) arrived on the S.S. Potsdam at the port of New York, Ellis Island. Their last residence place in the Netherlands was Bergen op Zoom and their destination was Rochester, Monroe County, New York, where their friend J.G. Constant was living. Her husband's brothers Willem (21, baker) and Daniel Scheffelaaar (17, blacksmith) emigrated with them on the same ship and voyage, also heading for J.G. Constant in Rochester and coming from Bergen op Zoom.

On August 24, 1916, her husband Govert Scheffelaar died of peritonitis after being kicked by a horse in Monroe County, New York, at the age of 30 years.

Through an ad in "De Wachter", Katie, with a young son to care for, took a job as a housekeeper for a widower, Andrew Leep, who had eight children, at Swift Current, in the southwestern part of the Canadian south central province Saskatchewan, about 45 miles southeast of the former Dutch settlement Cramersburg, where the Leep family homesteaded. 

In March 1918, she remarried in Saskatchewan, Canada, very probably in the former tiny Dutch settlement of Cramersburg, to the ten years older Andrew Leep.

On June 1, 1921 Catherine (35), her husband Andrew Leep (46), his children Nicholas Leep (21), Harry Leep (19), Julian Leep (17), Tracey Leep (15), Edward Leep (13), Clara Leep (11), Jennie Leep (9) and Mary Leep (6), and her son Nicholas Scheffelaar (10) were residing at the rural municipality of Miry Creek, located in the southwestern part of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Animal disease, drought, dust bowls, grasshopper invasions, several successive cropp failures and low grain prices caused them to leave Canada and the family moved in 1922 to Shepherd, Yellowstone County, Montana. In 1927 they moved to Illinois, where Andrew's family had previously lived.

In April 1930, Katie (44 years old, born in Holland, immigrated in 1911), her husband Andrew Leep (54, Holland, immigrated in 1893, truck farmer), his son Edward (22, Chicago, laborer at a machine shop), her son Nicholas Scheffelaar (19, Holland, immigrated in 1911, laborer at a machine shop), his daughter Mary (16, Canada), their sons Benjamin (5, Montana) and Anthony J (2, Montana) lived at a rented farm in Melrose, Adams County, in the extreme western part of Illinois, on the eastern banks of the Mississippi River.

In April 1940 Katie (55), her husband Andrew K. Leep (65, carpenter in the rough building industry), their sons Benjamin (15, Montana) and Anthony (12, Montana) resided at a rented home in Martin, Allegan County, in the western part of Michigan. In 1935 they lived in the same town, but in another house.

Finally they moved to Grand Rapids, where her husband Andrew found employment in a greenhouse. That was a job after his own heart. Katie passed away in March 1950 at the age of 64 years at their home at 1313 Kalamazoo Avenue in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

OBITUARY

Grand Rapids Press, Friday March 10, 1950: Mrs Katherine Leep, aged 64, passed away at her home at l3l3 Kalamazoo Ave SE. She is survived by her husband Andrew, 7 sons, Nicholas Schefler of Plainwell, Benjamin Leep of San Francisco, California, Anthony Leep of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Nicholas and Jerry Leep of Shelbyville, Michigan, Harry Leep of Manhattan, Montana and Edward Leep of Highland, Indiana, four daughters Mrs. O. Oldenburger of Bozeman, Montana, Mrs. J. Alberta of Manhattan, Montana, Mrs. D. Thiessen of Lambert, Montana and Mrs. A. Schmidt of Lansing, Illinois. 4l grandchildren, a brother Herman Otto of Rochester, N.Y., two brothers and two sisters in the Netherlands.

Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at l oclock at the Devries Funeral Home, Rev George Gritter officiating. Internment Restlawn Memorial Park. Mrs. Leep reposes at the chapel where friends and relatives may meet the family Sat and Sun eve 7 to 9 and Sun afternoon 2-4.

The death date which is written on Catherine's gravestone is quite wrong.

Their children were married now and her widower Andrew Leep was 75 years old, so he went to Highland, located in the extreme northwestern part of Indiana, adjacent to Chicago in Illinois, to live there with his married son Edward (?) and family.

Widower Andrew Leep died in December 1966 at the age of 92 years in Highland, Lake County, Indiana.