Kathleen Offerdahl

My mom passed away peacefully on September 8, 2025, at the age of 91. While somewhat expected after battling dementia for over four years, it is always hard to let go and say good-bye.

Mom was a great mom! She cherished my sister Judy and me, took care of us when we were sick, consoled us when we were down, and encouraged us to do our best, to be good people and to follow our dreams.

Mom was a great spouse. She was always supportive of Dad, even when multiple moves may have been difficult for her. There was one time that she wasn’t so supportive - it was when Dad suggested that she paint the bathroom. Ya just had to be there😊! Seriously, their marriage was a great example for Judy and me. And who can argue about spending over 50 years together! I will never forget their 50th anniversary party – what struck me was the vast majority of the friends that were there that were also married around 50 years.

Mom was a kind-hearted soul. She loved to laugh, which she did often. My dad was a great joke teller and he always had many jokes to tell. Mom even laughed at hearing the same jokes over and over for 50 plus years!! And Mom continued to laugh a lot, even as her illness progressed.

Mom was content. Mom always seemed to see the bright side of things, even when something would go wrong. One of her favorite situational sayings was when things weren’t going as planned or we couldn’t afford something, she would say that we are just going to have to “make do”, which she was just fine doing, and life would go on.

Her son in law Chris and I were talking during one my recent visits to see Mom, and I said something about Alzheimer's/Dementia being a horrible disease. Chris certainly agreed (his mom has it as well). But then Chris made a comment that will forever stick with me – it is clearly horrible for the families, and highly likely for the person inflicted, BUT maybe, just maybe, that person might be relatively content! For all we know, Mom could have been having a grand-old time these last four years. Only God really knows.

Mom had a strong faith. So strong that she made Judy and I go to Sunday School every week when we were kids! Seriously, I know she had a strong faith, and she lived her entire life with her faith as her guide.

Mom was gracious and forgiving. She never really said a bad word about any one. She always tried to see the good in people. She was gracious even when I had done something wrong (yes that did happen occasionally!). What I remember about Mom was how she used that to teach me a lesson. Typically, during the grounding period (contrary to public opinion, my grounding periods were usually about the same as what Judy received, not shorter!), Mom would talk to me about why what I did was wrong, and how doing good things had much better outcomes than doing bad things. Basically, I was able to calm down, not be mad, and learn the lesson.

Mom was smart and wise. Mom, just like Dad (and his dad too!), wisely stressed to Judy and me over and over again to get a good education, including going to college, which neither Mom nor Dad did. I know they sacrificed a lot financially to put us through college. I really appreciate their wisdom and sacrifice in this regard. And speaking of smart, I remember years ago going through Mom’s report cards from her high school. No surprise – she had straight A’s!! She set the bar high!

In conclusion, special thanks to the caregivers at the memory care facilities at both Amber Glen and Clark Lindsey. It takes very special people to work with memory care patients, and we are all so grateful for the excellent care that mom received in her more than four years at those facilities. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for how you treated Mom and for what you do every day.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Monday September 15, 2025 at Cress Funeral Service, 206 W. Prospect St., Stoughton, Wisconsin with a Funeral Service at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be thereafter at the East Side Cemetery (Lutheran East Cemetery) at 200 County Highway N in Stoughton.

For donations and in lieu of flowers, please give to Alzheimer’s Association at https://alzfdn.org/donate/