Kathryn Kier, 69, of Buena Vista passed away on Tuesday, April 24 at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, Colorado.
She was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania on May 5, 1948 to Lyle and Kathryn Smock.
She grew up in Denver, Colorado where she met her husband Larry in 1964. They were married in Palo Alto, California on March 23, 1968 and recently celebrated a 50th wedding anniversary.
For fifty years Kathi was a home maker and nurturer in Stanford and Albany, California; St. Louis, Missouri; Santa Fe, New Mexico and Buena Vista, Colorado. Home and family were the center of her life. She blessed her family with loving care including wonderful cooking. Her smile could light up a room when she was helping you or melt your heart when she needed help. Her nurturing extended to helping numerous Chaffee County organizations including the Columbine Gem and Mineral Society of Chaffee County and she was a proud recipient of the 2017 Nancy O’Connor award for service that included organizing several Lincoln Day Dinners in Chaffee County. Throughout her life she exhibited quiet but remarkable courage including overcoming a fear of water to become a certified life guard and bearing the effects of a number of maladies encountered late in her life with extraordinary grace and bravery.
Kathi was preceded in death by her mother Kathryn and grandson, Kendall.
She is survived by her husband Larry, sons Matthew of St. Louis, MO and Lawrence of Granite City, IL,; granddaughters Amber (Jacob) Byrum of Pontoon Beach , IL and Kaleigh Kier of Granite City, IL, grandson Jackson Kier of St. Louis, MO; great grandsons Gavin and Paxton Byrum of Pontoon Beach, IL; father Lyle and his wife Patty of Centennial, CO; sister Elizabeth (Karl) Everhart of Denver, CO; in-laws Mike and Terri Kier of Tulsa, OK and Holly and Mark Lana of Denver, CO and their daughters Keridwen and Amorette.
Her funeral services will be at 2 p.m. April 28, 2018, at Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home in Salida and a memorial service will be held later in St. Louis, MO.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center Foundation, Heart of the Rockies Home Health and Hospice, the National Kidney Foundation or a charity of your choice in Kathi’s memory.
Arrangements are with Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be offered at lewisandglenn.com.
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