Catherine Nash Dougherty was born to Evans and Jean Nash in Oklahoma City on March 9, 1947 and passed at her home in Hinton on June 28, 2026. She spent her childhood exploring the natural beauty of 1950’s Nichols Hills with her sisters Nancy and Patricia.
This idyllic experience fostered a love of nature that she would share with her children and grandchildren and carry into her writing and conservation efforts.
Catherine attended several universities eventually landing at OCU where she got her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Psychology and her Master’s in Human Ecology. At OCU she met the love of her life, Michael Dougherty (they were virtually inseparable for almost 55 years).
After a brief courtship the couple married in 1971 before joining the back-toearth movement that lead them to Western Oklahoma where they raised their eight children on a small farm in Hinton. Catherine took great pride in her children and worked tirelessly for them. From cloth diapers, fresh canned foods and milking goats for lactoseintolerant twins and home-school-ing, she dedicated her life to raising the “next generation” of healthy, conscientious adults.
Catherine was a lifelong activist who championed causes for human equality and cultural sensitivity. Known under the moniker of “Poison-Pen” she wrote many letters and articles for women’s rights and responsible stewardship reflecting her dedication to natural conservation. This passion translated into, among other things, a riding stable on the family’s woodland property as well as a wild animal sanctuary; both nurtured her love of the outdoors, those feathered and furry friends that inhabited it, and the flowers and vegetation that inspired her beautiful writing.
Catherine was a prolific writer with a weekly newspaper column titled “In the Garden”. These articles included a unique blend of Catherine’s sharp wit, colloquial tidbits, fascinating facts and her own personal perspective on life and gardening. Her articles were published in the El Reno Tribune, Hinton Record, and The Country Connection for over a decade, as well as on Facebook and her website www. gardening4us.com where her writings can still be found.
She was featured in multiple publications including The Sooner Catholic, Oklahoma Living, and on KOCO TV’s Someone You Should Know.
Catherine was preceded in death by her parents, Evans and Jean Nash and in-laws Dr. Raymond and Eileen Dougherty and her sister Nancy Nash.
She leaves behind a loving husband of almost 55 years (virtually inseparable from him since the time they meet), Michael and children Webster and wife Rebecca, Dolan and wife Tara, Marshall and wife Andrea, Patrick, John and wife Nikki, Peter and wife Lynnae, Andrew and wife Kylie, and Elizabeth and husband Alex. She also leaves behind grandchildren Zoe, Ella, Julia, Evans, Nash, Pierce, Fiona, Nova, Ada, Dillon, Everett, Porter, Ruth, Lilian, Kate and Isaac.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Catherine’s name to the Sisters of Carmel, Audubon Society or St. Labre Indian School. She would also have loved for everyone to put an extra few dollars in your pockets for those less fortunate that you meet in everyday life.
Until we meet again, ma; Good Night, Sleep Tight, Have Pretty Dreams and Feel Good When You Wake Up In The Morning. We Love You.