Kathie Karen Knierim, age 78, passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Penrose Main Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Funeral will be held 10:00 AM on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Story Church, 502 N Walnut, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80905.
Graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Antelope Valley Cemetery in Oshkosh, Nebraska.
Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Home and Cremations is Oshkosh is assisting the family with local arrangments.
Kathie was born on December 18, 1945, in Oshkosh, Nebraska, a daughter of Lawrence and Virginia Peterson. She attended a one-room school house in the country near their farm, and then Garden County High School in Oshkosh, NE.
When Kathie was a teenager she worked at the Dairy Freeze as well as Midwec in Oshkosh. Kathie worked at Family Furniture for a while as well as Compassion International in Colorado Springs.
In 1963, Mom met the love of her life, Donald Knierim, at the Pilgrim Holiness Church where she and her family attended. On their first date they went to a youth rally in Madrid, NE. They wrote letters to each other after Donald went back to college, saw each other a few more times in the months that followed, and then they were married on December 21st that same year. After they were married, they lived in Tabor, Iowa, for a just over 2 years and then moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Kathie was very involved at their church, First Wesleyan, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She led the women’s ministry, helped the members of the Best Years Fellowship group, served as the youth pastor for probably 10+ years, was the leader of the prayer chain for many years, sent cards and notes of encouragement to the church family, and served in the Impact Kids ministry at Bristol Elementary.
Kathie was a loving wife, devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Norman Peterson, Marilyn Susuras, and Dick Peterson.
She is survived by her loving husband, Donald Knierim; children Dynelle Deck (David), Bradley Knierim (Susan); her sister Lawrene Hitt; grandchildren Madison Kluenker (Austin), McKenna Deck, Morgan Mata (Chance), Quentin Knierim, Caleb Knierim; great-grandchild Matthew Kluenker.