Our family is saddened to announce the death of Kathryne Slate McDorman, our mother, grandmother, and beloved friend on July 8, 2008.

“Mrs. Mc” as she became known to many, was born in Scottsville, Kentucky, on October 24, 1906. Her parents, Pernie Whitney Slate and Joseph Marvin Slate moved the family to the big city of Bowling Green when she was twelve. In Bowling Green, she made her true life -long friends, her Kentucky “ya-yahs”, the Bradshaw girls, Elizabeth, Nan and their brother Sam and his wife Katherine Bell and Lois Scroggs, none of whom survive her. She graduated from the Bowling Green Business University that was later absorbed by Western Kentucky University.

Mrs. McDorman taught at high schools in Barnesville, Georgia, and in Gadsden, Alabama. In Gadsden, she met and, on June 1, 1929, married our father, Clarence Leslie McDorman of Birmingham, who predeceased her in 1980.

Over her seventy-two years in Birmingham, Mrs. McDorman sat on the board of the Homewood Library, served as secretary to the Coordinating Council of Jefferson County – the forerunner of the United Way – and taught a Sunday school class for young women at First United Methodist Church. After World War II, her women's class joined with the class for young men that her husband was teaching. The McDorman Class was one of the first co-educational classes at First United Methodist and continues to this day as the McDorman-Allen class, our parents' proud legacy. Their tradition is currently sustained by their son, Clarence McDorman, Jr., who teaches the class. She was also one of the first women to serve on the Board of Stewards of First Methodist. She was proud to be a member of over fifty years of the “Bibs” Club of Birmingham and the Alwyn Club. These clubs were a source of intellectual stimulation and great friends over the years.

Mrs. McDorman is survived by her son, Clarence McDorman, Jr. (Virginia), her daughter, Dr. Kathryne S. McDorman of Forth Worth, Texas, her grandsons, Clarence McDorman, III, Thomas Slate McDorman, Sim Moseley, Mike Moseley (Suzanne), Great Grandchildren Isabella and Gibson Moseley.

She is also survived by her sister, Jonell Crouch and her brother, Clay Slate. In addition, she claimed two “honorary” daughters, Barbara Adkins and Shirley Austin (Bill) and many beloved nieces and nephews and an incalculable number of dear friends.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the McDorman Scholarship Fund Birmingham-Southern College, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254 – Attn. Keith Thompson.

Our family is so grateful to Bessie Beard, Wilma Carroll, and Bobbie Toyer for their loving care of our mother.

The McDorman family wishes to thank everyone for your love and support during this time of grieving. We will be using this site to post arrangment and memorial information as it becomes available.

Please visit our page for memorial page for letters, thoughts and prayers. I am also working on page of pictures. Please send any of my grandmother you might have.