Katherine Cady

Katherine (Kate) Elizabeth Karr Cady age 95, died on May 28, 2020 of congestive heart failure in Independent Living at SummerWood of Plymouth in Plymouth,Minnesota. Kate was born in Fairmont, Minnesota to Arthur and Clara (Weittenhiller) Karr. She grew up in the southern Minnesotafarm town enjoying swimming, golf and friends who remained with her for life. As an 8-year-old, Kate was struck by a truck and suffered a headand leg injuries. Her elementary education was delayed while she recovered. Despite the setback, Kate proved herself to be an intrepid learner; curious about other people, nature and life. And she returned to her favorite activities. One summer while swimming across Lake Sisseton with a friend, the friend got cramps. Kate saved her friend by towing her to shore. The Karr family moved to St. Paul, MN in her junior year where Kate graduated from Murray High School. Around this time Kate’s mother was disabled by strokes and Kate took on her care for 10 years. Kate studied architecture at the University of Minnesota before she married her high school sweetheart, Gerald (Gerry) Cady with whom she shared 62 years of marriage until his death in 2008. The young couple lived in St. Peter, MN until Gerry’s graduation from Gustavus Adolphus College. They moved to Northern Minnesota for three years where Gerry taught and coached at Menahga and Aitkin High Schools, and where Kate was now a mother of two babies and caregiver to her mother. In 1952 the family moved to Plymouth Township where Kate had continued to live until her passing. Plymouth became their home. Kate loved Plymouth because of the woods and open fields. Plymouth was where the Cadys expanded their family to 4 children, added 2 exchange students in the interim, became grandparents and where Kate became a great grandparent. Finding the right church was important to Kate and Gerry, and they found it in St. Georges Episcopal Church in St. Louis Park. Kate was a lifelong member, driving herself to Sunday services in all Minnesota weather until this year. Kate was a driver until the end. Driving brought her independence and pride. She often loaded her senior friends into her Honda minivan for road trips- of several hundred miles.She was the bus driver. For more than two decades, Kate became the primary driver for trips to Marco Island where the Cadys were snowbirds. Kateenjoyed the warm weather, golf, walking the beach, bird watching, and hosting their grandchildren’s spring break visits. Kate and Gerry were active winter parishioners of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on the island. Kate is still remembered as a regular worshiper and sharp bridge player. Kate was also a traveler. In 1967 she organized a trip for Gerryand her, and their family of 4 kids plus a Finnish exchange student, Ulla Visapaa, to go to Mexico City. They packed into a station wagon and drove through the night into Mexico where they boarded a converted WWII cargo plane to fly to the capital city. It was a magnificent and exciting trip. Kate was passionate about Northern Minnesota. To celebrate turning 70, she joined her son, Tom and his family on a canoe trip in the BWCA. This proved to be a rigorous expedition of canoeing, portaging, camping and connecting with nature and family in the boundary waters; exactly what Kate wanted. Kate loved being up north. She grew up spending summers at the family cabin on Big Sandy Lake, and enjoyed bringing her family to the rustic beauty and serenity of lake life. There she was as happy as a Big Sandy clam indulging in her passions of swimming, rowing, reading, or spending hours workingcrossword and jigsaw puzzles. As an octogenarian, Kate arranged to go to Alaska to see the birthplace of her mother. This was not a senior cruise as her family believed. The trip involved travel on a jet, a small plane, a train, a boat, a bus and a river raft. While rafting down a rushing river, Kate was knocked overboard. Kate swam to the raft for rescue from the icy river, losing her glasses and destroying her phone in the effort. Her family was amazed that account of this incident surfaced only because unflappable Kate failed to call home. It was an exciting trip. Throughout her life, Kate held accounting related positions at Carlson and at Hennepin County Adult Corrections. Always good with numbers, Kate was a strategic thinker on the job, working Sudokus, at the bridge table and on the putting greens at Burl Oaks Golf Club where the Cadys were longtimemembers. Bridge provided hours, almost days, of entertainment for Kate in her later years. Playing bridge brought casual conversations and the pleasure of card strategy. Kate was especially pleased to pass on her love of the pastime to younger people, and was honored to be part of their lives at the card table. Kate was also honored to be president of the SummerWoodcouncil. She enjoyed learning to perform the duties of the role, and was an earnest representative of the SummerWood residents. Kate credited her residency at SummerWood with embellishing and prolonging her life. She brought friends to SummerWoodand leaves many more fine friends in its hallways. Kate is preceded in death by: • Husband, Gerry Cady • Brother, Leland Karr • Brother, Harold Karr • Many dear friends Kate is survived by: • 4 Children and their Spouses: Thomas (Kay) Cady, Betsy (Jack) Ford, Chris (Marietta) Cady and Linda (Scott) Jensen. • 7 Grandchildren and their Spouses: Miles (Katie) Cady, Alexis Ford, Mitchell (Kristi) Cady, Dayle (Jeff) Hauserman, Tessa Cady, Tara Cady and Annie Jensen • 4 Greatgrandchildren: Alice, Harriet, Grace and Claire Cady Kate will be missed by all who knew her. She will be held in our hearts as a kind, intellectually deep, scrupulously honest, supremely calm, logical, independent and giving friend. She was the beloved matriarch whose wisdom and love will be revered and remembered for the rest of our lives. An enormous debt of gratitude is owed to her daughter, Linda Jensen, who, like Kate, made her mother’s last years comfortable and enjoyable. ▪ The family is grateful for the kind expertise provided by Mary Sterling and others of Park Nicollet Hospice. ▪ In lieu of flowers please make gifts to St. Georges Episcopal Church, 5224 Minnetonka Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55416 ▪ Due to Covid 19, celebration of Katherine Cady’s life will be announced at a later date.

Tributes

Katherine Cady

January 31, 1925 - May 28, 2020

Tributes

Katherine Cady

January 31, 1925 - May 28, 2020

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