Kathy Waller, of Shakopee, passed away the afternoon of June 3, 2015 at the age of 68. A Memorial Service for Kathy will be Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 3:00 PM with visitation two hours prior at Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church in Shakopee. Reverend Mark L. Schwertfeger will preside. Memorials can be made in Kathy’s honor to Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Edward and Bernice (Gitersonke) Kepp celebrated the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Kathleen Evelyn Kepp on February 18, 1947 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. She was an older sister to her two siblings, Susan and Edward. As a child, Kathy attended St. Matthew’s Elementary School, which is where her passion for education began. She later graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1965.
After high school, Kathy packed up and moved to the “Frozen North” to attend Bethany College in Mankato, Minnesota. She graduated from Mankato State College in 1969 with a degree in teaching.
Kathy soon moved to Shakopee to begin a long teaching career with the Shakopee School District. She taught in a number of areas from elementary through high school, including Head Start and Special Education. Kathy’s passion for teaching was evident in the way she dedicated her time and effort to helping students of all ability levels and backgrounds.
In the summer of 1980, Kathy was invited to a neighborhood party by some friends. She had a wonderful time and really hit it off with the host of the party, Gary Waller. Kathy and Gary became very fond of each other, and Gary began helping Kathy fix up her new house. Their love grew quickly, and they exchanged wedding vows on May 9, 1981 at Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church. Kathy and Gary were blessed with two wonderful children, Andrew and Debra. Kathy was an incredible mother.
Kathy enjoyed walking the neighborhood, playing in the yard with her children, and spending time together as a family. Kathy and Gary taught their kids the importance of family and faith. Kathy was very active in their church. Among many other commitments, she taught Sunday School and helped coordinate a number of fellowship gatherings. Eventually it became too physically demanding for Kathy to attend weekly worship services, but her faith never wavered.
Kathy worked as an educator in Shakopee for 30 years until she was forced to retire due to her physical disabilities in 1999. Although she couldn’t work full time, she still volunteered at local schools one day per week. While confined to a wheelchair, but always in search of how she could serve others, in later life Kathy donated her time helping with Christian Life Ministries Hotline where she would provide assistance to pregnant women. Kathy truly had a servant’s heart and was always doing things for others.
When she was able, Kathy loved going to garage sales. She was always looking for a bargain and even dubbed herself “The Coupon Queen.” Regrettably for Gary, Kathy later worked to satisfy her commitment to shopping by shopping online to find great deals. Some of her other hobbies included tending flowerbeds, scrapbooking with her dear friends, and scouring the web and stores for ways to shower her grandchildren with gifts.
Kathy was a kind, loving and generous woman. After managing health issues for a long time, years of pushing her body overtime finally caught up with her, and she has gone to be with her Lord. Kathy will be remembered always by her husband, Gary Waller; children, Andrew (Megan) Waller and Debra (Ethan) Bolstad; grandchildren, Cormac, Boden, Adelia, Hagen, Roric, Torian and Emma; brother, Edward (Susan) Kepp; brother-in-law, Michael Dahms; other loving relatives and many dear friends.
There to greet Kathy in Heaven are her parents, Edward and Bernice Kepp; sister, Susan Dahms.
The Waller family is served with honor, care and compassion by Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation.
