Kathryn Karshner Krekow

Kathryn Karshner Krekow was born March 20, 1930 at Hoquiam General Hospital in Hoquiam, WA. She died January 15, 2012 in Seattle, WA.She was preceded in death by her parents, Karl and Iris Karshner, sister, Janet Rutter, and son, Gordon Krekow Jr. Kathryn grew up in Elma, WA as an avid equestrian. Her favorite story, always told with her wonderful laugh, was of the time she raced her horse at the Grays Harbor County Fair. Although she was an excellent rider, when the gun went off her horse bucked her into the mud, and bolted for the barn. Amid all the shouts and yells, the one she heard most clearly was of a distraught man calling out from the rail, “How could you? I bet everything on you!” She moved to Hoquiam and lived with her aunt and uncle, Kay and George Wandel, in order to attend a “big” high school. There, she met her soul mate and future husband of 61 years Gordon Krekow. During high school she was voted the class heart; the most beloved person in the school. This award was indicative of how people felt about Kathryn throughout her life. Kathryn received an AA degree in sociology from Stephens College in Missouri. She returned to Seattle in 1950 to marry her sweetheart Gordon, who was attending the University of Washington. Gordon’s graduation and membership in the ROTC meant their first years of marriage were spent in the Air Force living in Cheyenne, WY and Peoria, IL, before returning home to Washington. They settled on Mercer Island, living there for the next fifty years while raising their four children. She was a foster parent and active member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Later, Gordon and Kathryn became members of St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Seattle. Summers were spent at the family home on Hood Canal. When grandchildren began making their appearance, she created a “summer camp” at the Canal. These camps became treasured experiences for her and her nine grandchildren. Winters saw Gordon and Kathryn spending as much time as possible at their beach house on Maui. They enjoyed traveling the world including a trip to Honduras to visit one of Kathryn’s favorite charities, “Friends of the Orphans”. This association became an important part of her life. Kathryn is survived by her husband, Gordon; son Karl (Kathleen) and their children Brooke, Paul, Sylvie and Nicholas; son Kenneth (Janice) and their children Kyle and Kirsten; daughter Kathy and her children Michael and Shannon; grandson Kristofer Krekow; brother Karl (Penny) Karshner; five great grandchildren; and last, but certainly not least, her “Old Fools” – dear friends through thick and thin for over forty years. Family and friends will be forever thankful for the gift of unconditional love that Kathryn gave to us all. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Friends of the Orphans 1800 112th Ave. NE, Suite 308E Bellevue, WA 98004 (Request Honduras), or another favorite charity, Northwest Harvest. A memorial service will be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Mercer Island at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 25, 2012.