Katherine M. Coulter

KATHERINE MAE COULTER March 31, 1910 - January 10, 2011Katherine Coulter, 100 years old, passed away Monday, January 10th at Glenwood Place in Marshalltown where she resided for the last five years.Katherine was born in Tama County to Helen (Dickkut) and Alva Richards. At the age of three the family moved to a farm in Albion, where Katherine lived her childhood along with her two sisters, Lois and Pauline.After graduating from Albion High School, Katherine attended college in Cedar Falls (formerly called Teachers College). She taught various grades at several country schools before teaching in LaMoille, where she met her future husband, the late Orville Coulter. They were married February 5, 1938 and lived in Marshalltown where Mr. Coulter became a police officer.Katherine and Orville were the parents of two daughters, Patricia and Sharon. Family meant everything to Katherine. She was totally devoted to her husband, their two daughters and her grandchildren. Baking was really her forte, and she later become known to the grandchildren as the cookie grandma.After her husbands retirement, they moved to Colorado Springs, then Denver, and finally McAllen, Texas, before returning to Marshalltown in 1991. In 1998, shortly before their wedding anniversary, she was extremely saddened to lose her devoted husband of nearly 60 years.On March 31, 2010, Katherine reached her goal to celebrate her 100 birthday and had a party at Glenwood Place with over 100 of her family and friends.She was a gracious lady and a fabulous role model and will be greatly missed by all those who knew her. She is survived by her daughters; Patricia (Edward) Loy of Albany, Oregon and Sharon (Thomas) Gray of Greenwood Village, Colorado; her five grandchildren; Laurie Bissonette, Robin (Becky) Warnell, Kirk (Dianna) Abrahamson, Kim Abrahamson, and Todd Abrahamson; her great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; Christopher Warnell, Michael (Elci) Warnell and their children Zachary and Matthew, Rachel Warnell, Kylie Abrahamson, Laney Abrahamson, and Trevor (Janelle) Bissonette and their son Jaxen. She will also be sadly missed by her dear cousins Ruth and John Cable, Herbert Dickkut; as well as many other cousins, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.Katherine was preceded in death by her loving husband, Orville Coulter, her parents Helen (Dickkut) and Alva Richards, her sisters Lois Reed and Pauline Dehrkoop, and her granddaughter Penny Sue Abrahamson.Ultimate thanks and gratitude go to her wonderful caregivers; Iowa Hospice, the Comfort Keepers, Glenwood Place, and Drs. Beaty, Cooper and Young.A viewing will be held at Mitchell Family Funeral Home on Friday, January 14th from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.. Funeral services will also be at the Mitchell Funeral Home on Saturday, January 15 at 10:30 a.m. Pall bearers are Robin Warnell, Laurie Bissonette, Kirk Abrahamson, Kim Abrahamson, Todd Abrahamson, Christopher Warnell, Michael Warnell, and Trevor Bissonette. Honorary pall bearers are Thomas Gray, Edward Loy, John Cable, Herbert Dickkut, and James Coulter.In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Iowa Hospice, 2 West Main Street, Marshalltown, Iowa.