Katherine Kraut

KATHERINE E. KRAUT

Marion

Katherine E. Kraut, 81, of North Richland Hills, Texas, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, after a short illness. She will be greatly missed by everyone. A private family service will be held at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories with burial following at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. A livestream for this service can be viewed at 11 a.m. April 24. The service can be viewed on the Cedar Memorial website under the obituary for Katherine Kraut, under the video tab.

As mandated by proclamation, social distancing must be practiced, which requires a limited number of people to be allowed into the visitation at one time. The use of face masks or shields is required.

Katherine, known as Kathy, was born Nov. 9, 1939, in Charles City, Iowa, to Charles and Florence (Ersing) Patten. She attended Charles City High School, graduating in 1958. After high school, she took schooling to be a nursing tech at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Kathy went on to work at Mercy Hospital in the OB ward. At Mercy Hospital, Kathy met her future husband and partner for the rest of her life, Charles "Chuck" L. Kraut, of Cedar Rapids. They were wed Dec. 23, 1961, in Cedar Rapids. Kathy was a devoted and loving wife the entirety of their 59 years together. Kathy and Chuck built their family in Marion, where they nurtured three children into adulthood, and she worked many years at Lefebure. After 24 years in Iowa, they moved to Atlanta, Ga., where she worked at SAIC. Their careers eventually led them to North Richland Hills, Texas, where they would spend the rest of their lives together. She retired at the age of 62 from Life Investors.

Kathy was always smiling and lit up the room whenever she came in. Her favorite activity was imparting love and care on all her family and friends whenever the opportunity arose. Her motherly instincts were unmatched. She could often be found cooking, home keeping and offering guidance and advice to her loved ones. She was an avid reader and enjoyed attending NASCAR races at Texas Motor Speedway. Kathy and Chuck loved traveling together and the appearance of their large bus was a mark of their arrival. They saw all 50 states together and traveled the world together through cruises.

Kathy is survived by her husband, Charles; children, Kim (Dave) Fellmer of Waterloo, Iowa, Brad (Angela) Kraut of Oconomowoc, Wis., and Pam (Ron) Guza of North Richland Hills, Texas; grandchildren, Kara Meader, Brandon Gruwell, Bryan (Rebecca) Kraut, Brittney Guza and Michael Kraut; great-grandchildren, Hunter Klima, Addalynn Klima and Blake Guza; siblings, her twin brother Kenneth (Joyce) Patten and Janice Monson; sisters-in-law, Donna Patten, Joanne Patten, Ruth Raun and Kathryn Kraut; and brother-in-law, Art Raun.

She was preceded by her parents; siblings, Jean Veigel, Betty Patten, Ruth Demro, Patricia Suarez, Mary Fisher, Joan Patten, Robert Patten and Wendell Patten; brothers-in-law, Carleton Veigel, Ronnie Demro, James Fisher and Pete Monson; and parents-in-law, Donald and Leola Kraut.

Memorials may be directed to St. Jude Children's Hospital

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.