Condolence: Katie was such a wonderful person, friend,nurse,wife,and Big Pond neighbor!! I will miss her return to "Katy's Way" each spring! My sincere condolences to all of her nieces and nephews and their families, and her stepchildren Deb and Bryon. She is greatly missed! 💟

Condolence: (See above).

Condolence: The Excellence of Love I Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” I loved Katie. Katie was my step-mother for 44 years; my biological mom having passed away when I was eleven – she died of cancer. About a year and a half later, Katie met my Dad and they hit it off. I’ll never forget Katie coming to me and asking what do you think about your father and I getting married? And, as that 13-year-old kid having experienced already one great loss, with the death of my mother just 2 years prior, I said to Katie, “Sure, as long as you never get divorced.” It was that day that we made a pact together and Katie faithfully kept her word. Katie was an amazing woman – she was an independent-thinking woman – not afraid to speak up or say what was on her mind. As such, she became the town selectwoman and held that position for quite a few years. She was also part of the Big Pond Association, a committee that oversaw the homes on the lake where we lived, and she also served on the Ambulance Squad for many years. When Katie would receive a call, she was able to grab her keys and run out the door in a flash – her car always parked facing out for any emergency. Katie was a registered nurse but, my Dad used to say she should have become a doctor like her father. Katie loved God and cared for others. Katie had a private faith and she demonstrated that faith in her care for others. I would often find Katie knitting or crocheting sweaters for adults and children but she especially liked to make the cute little sets with booties for the littlest new members of family or friends alike. Katie also made quilts – quite a tedious undertaking, and I am thankful to have been a recipient of a beautiful one handmade by Katie. Katie also greatly cared for her nieces and nephews and their families. Katie, my Dad, and I “adopted” each of them and they all “adopted” us in return – especially for family reunions and cookouts and; then, in the later years caring for both Katie and my Dad when their health declined. I loved Katie and Katie loved God and others through her acts of service. God, also demonstrated His love for us in one of His greatest acts of service. In Romans 5:8, it says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” You see, we don’t have to come to Christ perfect, as most likely Katie has discovered by now and would also want us to know. Instead, we can come with all of our flaws, insecurities, and hang-ups and Christ accepts us just as we are. Jesus took the first step in loving us by dying for us on the cross for our sins. He paid the price. He finished the work – so we don’t have to. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It’s a free gift – you don’t have to earn it or work for it because Jesus paid the ultimate price for it. All you have to do is to receive this gift by faith. Simply ask Jesus to come into your heart and choose to live for Him. When we make that decision, we make the most important decision in our lives. We can then love others, because He first loved us. When I think of all the devastation that has happened in Houston Texas due to hurricane Harvey, I am reminded of all the “first responders” on the scene. Many of these folks left their nice comfortable cozy homes to brave the floods waters and rescue those who were stranded in their homes – they risked their lives for the sake of saving many lives. That’s what Jesus did for us – He was our “first responder” on the scene of our lives. I loved Katie. Katie loved God and others through her acts of service like Christ’s greatest act of service for us. I Corinthians 13:13 says, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I believe Katie would want us to remember that Gods loves us and that His kind of love is with excellence – unconditional, forgiving, and everlasting!