Katherine Steiner

Katherine Joyce (Olson) Steiner (67) was born on March 19th, 1955, in Moorhead, MN, and was freed from her battle with corticobasal degeneration on December 14th, 2022.

Kathy or “Kate”, as her family knew her, lived in Fargo and Enderlin, ND, and Hewitt, MN, briefly before moving with her family to rural Pelican Rapids. As an adolescent, Kathy was full of imagination and creativity. She played with her siblings and beloved neighbors for hours on end– always outdoors.

After graduating from the Pelican Rapids High School in 1973, Kathy joined her sister Karen in Sioux City, Iowa, to attend the St. Joseph’s Mercy School of Nursing where she became a Registered Nurse – thereafter gaining employment in Moorhead, MN, at St. Ansgar Hospital as a surgical and charge nurse.

In 1976, Kathy met the love of her life, Gerald Steiner of Rothsay. The two were united in marriage on November 19th, 1977, at Grove Lake Lutheran Church. Kathy and Jerry experienced immense joy in their 45 years and 26 days together, and they also faced seemingly insurmountable hardships. They raised three children, David, Robbie, and Kristie, and also lost three babies. Injuries and illnesses peppered their years together, and in November of 1999, they suffered the tragic death of their firstborn son at the age of 19. Kathy and Jerry were later blessed with the addition of a son- and daughter-in-law and with seven beautiful grandchildren.

Kathy had a natural inclination towards athletics, and she was a skilled basketball and softball player through much of her life; her left-handed home runs were legendary in the women’s league in which she played. Kathy was also an expert bowler, winning top scores in her women’s league in Fergus Falls several years consecutively. One of her great joys was traveling with her “bowling girls” to national tournaments.

Her adventurous spirit from childhood stayed with her all her life, and she had a deep desire to travel – which she did. A lot. She enjoyed several family vacations and trips with friends, and the pinnacle of her travels was her “Bucket List Trip” to Europe in 2019.

After first working as a registered nurse, Kathy spent the next 18 years in her most rewarding role as homemaker and mother. Kathy was the best mom to her children and was known to do much entertaining in the kitchen with her musical abilities playing the harmonica and the spoons. Kathy did significant volunteer work for several organizations and also helped on the family farm. Then in 1995, Kathy was recruited by the United States Department of Agriculture to serve as a temporary Program Technician– which blossomed into a successful and rewarding twenty year career with the Farm Service Agency. Kathy quickly became an expert in her field, helping other technicians around the state and being called to service in other states throughout the country during times of emergency.

In 2019, after experiencing mild difficulties with cognition and balance, Kathy was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease. Kathy proceeded through her challenging illness with positivity and dignity – always putting others before herself. To her last moments, she continued to communicate her love for her husband, children, grandchildren, family, and friends. As her husband Jerry so aptly reflected, “It was a hard life, but it was a good life.”

Katherine is survived by her husband, Gerald Steiner; two children: Robert Steiner (Traci) of Pelican Rapids and Kristie Sullivan (Craig) of Rothsay; seven grandchildren: Savannah, Vanessa, Scarlett, and David Sullivan, and Duke, Poppy, and Rocco Steiner; her mother, Maxine (Short) Olson of Moorhead; five siblings: Lawrence Olson, Jr. of Pelican Rapids, Karen Mosey (Greg) of Lake Park, Ronald Olson (Jacqueline) of Oviedo, FL, Bradley Olson (Bobbi) of Cottage Grove, Michelle Olson of Moorhead, and a brother-in-law, Randall Davenport of Pelican Rapids - as well as several nieces and nephews.

Katherine is preceded in death by her son, David Steiner; her father, Lawrence Olson, Sr.; her sister Virginia "Ginny" Davenport; and her grandparents: Knute and Lydia Olson and Rutheford and Deana Short.


Visitation: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls, with prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will resume one-hour prior to the service at the church.
Service: 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at Foxhome Lutheran Church, Foxhome, MN
Clergy: Reverend Julie Carlson
Interment: Burau Cemetery, Foxhome, MN

Arrangements provided by Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls.
Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com