Kathryn (Kay) Pearson

Our beloved Kathryn (Kay) Pearson, 97, left us on May 24, 2020, while residing in Davis, Calif., with her son Thomas, and his wife, Claudia.

A loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Kay was a kind, considerate, generous, and gracious lady.  She had a quick wit and never lost her little girl quality; humor in her eyes, smile on her face.  Kay’s acumen for crunching numbers was one of her many gifts.  She was also a consummate grammarian, a “go-to” for the many who valued her skills.  All who knew her will miss her.

Kay was born to Samuel and Mary Kennedy on Dec. 26, 1923, in Mason City, Iowa.  She spent her childhood on the farm with her four siblings and enjoyed riding her horse, Gaylord W.  Kay graduated from Clear Lake High School and went on to Stephens and Carlton colleges earning her degree.  She was an adventuresome young lady who was fond of speed in both cars and airplanes.  She was an early aviatrix who was ahead of her time by achieving her private pilot license in the early 40s.

After college Kay went to Minneapolis, Minn. to work for Northwest Airlines where she met the love of her life, Kenneth (Ken) Pearson.  Kay and Ken were married in Clear Lake in 1947. Ken was a police officer with the Minneapolis police department where they made their home and raised two sons, Charles and Thomas.   After retirement from the police department, Kay and Ken purchased the Mobas Window Shade Company.   Kay did the bookkeeping while Ken did the selling.  Eventually the business was sold and they started splitting their time between summers in Minnesota and winters in Arizona.  They enjoyed socializing with friends and family, as well as traveling.  Kay and Ken’s travels took them to Cuba, Hong Kong, Australia, The British Isles, and Europe.  They also made many trips to Alaska to visit their older son Charles, and his family.

A passion that never left Kay was watching her Minnesota Twins.  One did not call to converse with Kay during her Twins games.  Kay also loved playing bridge, and kept up with the times on the computer.  She especially enjoyed making cards for every occasion, and never forgot family and friends.

After Ken’s death in 1999, with the help of her sons’ driving, she continued to live in both Minnesota and Arizona.  Eventually she found it necessary to move to Davis, Calif., with son, Thomas, and his wife, Claudia, where she resided until her passing.

She was preceded in death by parents, Samuel and Mary; husband, Kenneth; brother, Jim (Nancy); sisters, Jane (Richard), and Marguerite (Ralph).

Kay is survived by brother, Jack (Wanda); sons, Charles (Cynthia), and Thomas (Claudia); four grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and numerous other relatives.

Kay requested there be no memorial service.  She wanted to be laid to rest with her husband, Ken, in the cemetery at Ft. Snelling, Minn.