Katrinka Park Obituary

Memorial Service for Katrinka Jean Park will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at First Baptist Church in Brownfield. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Friday, November 8, 2024, also at First Baptist Church. 

Katrinka's story begins during WWII in a love letter from Fred to his wife, Sarah. After hearing someone call out the name, he wrote that when he returned home he wanted to have a daughter and name her Katrinka. Nine months after Fred's return, Katrinka Jean Howard made her grand entrance on July 26, 1946. She was the second child and daughter, born in Fulton, MS., later followed by four siblings, David, Ricky, Belinda and Kenny.

After her parents graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, as a young teen, Katrinka's family moved to Plainview, Texas. She enjoyed school, was active in church, volunteer work with special needs children and she learned to play the piano, a talent she would share for life.

In 1967 Katrinka graduated from Wayland College where her father was a professor of religion. Katrinka's life followed the trajectory and mission God set before her. She never stopped learning, teaching and serving others. The spiritual influence of her parents and the skills she learned as a Wayland student launched a lifetime of service to others.

As a young elementary school teacher, Katrinka became a wife and devoted mother to daughters Jeana and Jamie. She was involved with them in their church and school activities encouraging them to learn and to love Jesus. Over the years Katrinka served her church as a teacher, musician, VBS worker, GA's, choir, and a mighty prayer warrior.

A most treasured role was "Trinka" to her grandchildren. She nurtured their talents teaching them piano, academics, and playing Skip-Bo. Most importantly, by words and example, she led them to Jesus.

Katrinka enjoyed hosting her many friends and family in her home in Brownfield and Ruidoso, NM. Her home was open to all for a home-cooked meal, conversation and a good game of Skip-Bo or Mexican Train.

In 1988, Katrinka married Donald Park whom she met years before at their church and had already served together on many mission teams to Mexico, Switzerland and Poland. They continued their partnership serving in overseas missions. Katrinka often spent her entire summer break from public school on mission teams with Michael Gott International (MGI) to teach conversational English and hold VBS in Switzerland, Poland, Belarus, Romania, and Ukraine. One of Katrinka's stories about one of these trips, was teaching English words for body parts using the Hokey Pokey. This "put your right hand out and turn yourself around" unintentionally upset the local church ladies when they thought she was teaching Baptists to dance in the church!

In all, Katrinka spent 45 years as an elementary school teacher and 25 years in overseas mission work. Just weeks before her death upon learning she would be homebound, she was making a list of the things she could still do to serve others.

On November 3, 2024, Katrinka entered eternity and heard her master say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:23)

Katrinka is survived by daughters, Jeana Moore, Jamie (Joe) Hernandez, Grandchildren: Anthony, Bethany, Baylee, Hayden and 7 great-grandchildren; siblings Patricia Sikes, David (Sioux) Howard, Belinda (Steve) Smith, Kenny Howard.

Predeceased by husband Don Park, parents Fred D. and Sarah Howard, brother, Rick, a nephew and niece.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Katrinka Howard Park Endowed Scholarship, Wayland Baptist University; MGI International; or First Baptist Church, Brownfield, TX.