Kathy was my cousin, aptly described below as loving, vivacious and beautiful! She exuded joy and a great sense of humor always! It was a wonderful and rare treat when my family would pack up on the train as a child and eventually make our way from Williston, ND, Colorado Springs Colorado and eventually Phoenix, AZ to Buffalo, NY to visit my Aunt Beatrice, Uncle Vincent and their 5 children! My grandmother and other Aunt also lived closeby. It was always so much fun and exciting to be caught up in the lives of our cousins, whom we rarely got to see, but always felt the close bonding of family! We loved their neighborhood, what seemed to us like a huge 2 story home and all of the fun and excitement of spending time with our cousins. Kathy was always full of fun and mischief, with never a dull moment when she was around. As adults, we would get together sometimes during her layovers when she was a flight attendant and as always, it seemed as if no time had passed. Our last reunion was at the Memorial of her sister and my dear friend and cousin, Liz. It was such a sweet and poignant visit. I am so sad I will never again see her this side of Heaven, but hope to meet her there one day! I love you Kathy. I know you blessed the lives of many of us as well as many of your animal children.

I'll miss Aunt Kathy dearly. Her energetic, cackling laugh was hugely contagious, and it was nearly impossible to not smile and laugh while in her presence. I'll always remember her hilarious stories about difficult airplane passengers, her lovable chow chow dogs, her mischievous and apparently well-spoken parrot, and her cantankerous horse. When she and her sisters got together at Thanksgiving or reunions, laughter filled the room and spilled out into the rest of the house. What an amazing person. I feel lucky to have been her niece.

Kathy was a very special person. She was not only my sister, but she was my best friend. I naturally looked up to her as she was about 5 &1/2 years my senior in age, and more-over, time & time again she demonstrated that she really loved me as her "kid-brother". On a couple of different occasions she literally saved my life. One time, as we were walking home from school, she pushed me out of the way of a speeding large black car, if she had not been there to do this, I likely would have been killed. I was in kindergarten at the time, and she was in the fifth grade at Lindbergh Elementary school,-this is just one example, and she was literally my hero in life.
As for her generosity, she gave me my first car I ever owned when I graduated from high school back in 1975. It was an Olds' 1967 Cutlass" model in really great shape. This was a real "god-send" for me at that time as I was very depressed and I hadn't even been working on getting my drivers' license. Well, this car gift certainly gave me the motivation & then some to finally get my license! Kathy also sometimes sought to bring me along on dates with her boyfriend when possible, and she made me a regular part of her horse & horse-back riding hobby. It was because of her that I learned to ride & care for horses! These were literally some of the best memories of my whole life, all thanks to Kathy!
As for Kathys' depth of character; - she certainly was no shallow "2-dimensional" person. Early on as a teenager, she had what would be called "para-normal" experiences that were spiritual in nature. She had what some would term to be "psychic" visions with deep insights into peoples' lives,-a gift which ultimately comes from God,- in church, they would have labeled her as a "prophetess:, although we didn't think of it in those terms back then.
Above all, Kathy was truly an out-going "others-centered person,-just the opposite of self-centered, and I have always viewed her as a superior version of myself. At some point in our youth, we even looked very much alike. For example, when I was about 10 years old & Kathy was about 15 years old, she used to play this gag on our parents-where she would dress up like me & arrange her hair like mine & fool our mom and dad,-they thought she was me! It was very funny & is a good example of Kathys' good natured playfulness.
As for Kathys' vivacious personality;- Where ever she went she was always the life of the party and she truly had the "gift of gab". She was very much of an "extrovert" and this was due largely to her genuine interest and love for other people. Anyone that knew Kathy will sincerely miss her, and to know her was to love her. I hope and pray I will see her again soon in the life to come, meanwhile, my memories of her will serve to inspire me to be the better person I know I can become.

Sincerely yours, - Kathys' "little broth" - Chuck Haaland

It was exciting for me when my mom went to the hospital to have the baby in 1952! Or, at least until the baby was NOT a boy, but a girl named Kathy. I guess, the only thing to do was to "deal with it," since this would be a house with a,mom, two sisters, and a dad who was gone a lot as a traveling salesman.

As I look back, having a baby sister can be a gift from "God" that you don't appreciate at the time. Kathy and my other little sister Liz were partners in crime. Neighborhood kids would have their "spats" and I would find myself often coming to their protection and defense as their older brother. These things prepared me for my later roles in life as husband, father and police officer. The value of things learned by interacting with a little sister are significant as a boy reaches manhood.

Over the many years as we grew up, we would all get married and separated by the many miles as Kathy moved to the Chicago area to work for the airline. Sadly, physical distance can create emotional distances that become difficult for family. After decades of Kathy and I becoming more distant, positive things happened a few years ago as communications resumed. Somehow, the many years spent being in the "rat race" of work, raising families, divorces and other hardships, there became a bright light in our relationship. This led to a visit with Kathy in 2015 when wife Karen and I made a trip to Milwaukee for the Cadillac Grand Nationals. We took Kathy on the Lake Geneva boat cruise enjoying the fine dining and other sights of the area. The bond came back quickly, and we became closer than we ever had been before. As time went on, we spoke more and more. Then, last fall, we became alarmed when she informed us of the health problems that were taking their toll on her. Naively, I think deep down we and she thought she could get the right help and get better. Karen and I always closed with "Love ya Kath," and she likewise. Karen and I motored to
St. Lukes, and were too late to communicate for a last time as she was already intubated. Upon seeing Kathy on arrival, Karen and I fell apart as she was hooked up and in an induced coma.

Kathy's fate was obvious as we still prayed for miracles with the Chaplain over the next several days, but a miracle was not to be had.

Kathy was a sensitive, thoughtful, loving, street smart and entertaining person who I will miss deeply. I never realized I could miss her so much, and now we are all faced with the fact that we will never hear her goofy laugh or see any more of her scribbled up greeting cards in this life.
I will tell you again, a little sister is a gift from God, take the time to tell loved ones HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM before it is too late.

As Kathy’s big sister I’ll always remember her as a free spirit: energetic,upbeat and sometimes downright zany. She found humor in most situations always laughing along with her audience as she regaled them with stories. Her job as a flight attendant and her menagerie were the source of many funny tales—told no doubt with a little exaggeration.
Kathy loved collecting everything and if she found something perfect for someone she would gift it. Her many and varied pets were her children and they gave her much comfort and pleasure over the years. She also loved her many friends and appreciated their support. Kathy especially missed our sister Elizabeth who passed several years ago. I like to think they’re having a grand cosmic reunion in the great beyond!
We’ll miss you Kathy!!!

My Aunt Kathy always had a larger than life personality with a big laugh to match. She was precious to me. I always thought she was so fun and glamorous with her dark hair and bright lipstick. She literally lit the room up wherever she went. She will be greatly missed. I hope to see her again in heaven with my mom. We’ll eat snick-snacks and chat as if no time passed because that’s how it always was. I love her and miss her dearly.