Kathleen Simonitch

Kathleen Faye Simonitch, 93, of Breckenridge, MN, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 17, 2018, at her residence in Breckenridge. Visitation will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. followed immediately by the funeral service at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 23, 2018, at Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home in Breckenridge with Pastor David Kuhfal officiating. Arrangements have been entrusted to Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home in Breckenridge.

Kathleen Faye Stabnow was born on March 1, 1925, to Oscar and Bessie (Huckell) Stabnow at the family's residence in rural Marshall County, SD. She grew up and attended school at Havana, ND and later graduated from high school there. After completing her formal education in 1941, she moved to Mare Island, CA where she worked as an electrician’s assistant at a naval shipyard. In 1943, Kathleen moved closer to home to help at her uncle’s bakery in Aberdeen, SD.

In 1946, Kathleen was united in marriage to Jacob Jacobson at Britton Lutheran Church in South Dakota. The newlyweds farmed in the Rutland, ND area and then, in 1950, moved to Wahpeton. After their move, Kathleen worked at Kelly’s Diner in Wahpeton. She also was employed with Sears, in the service department, for two decades. In 1960, they moved across the Red River to Breckenridge, MN. While continuing to work for Sears, she also helped her husband manage Jake’s bar in Breckenridge. Jake was a loving husband to Kathleen and he passed away in August of 1968.

Kathleen had a strong work ethic and she continued to provide for her family by acquiring a second income working at the Rock Garden Bar in Breckenridge. After a dignified 23 years of dedicated employment, she retired at Sears. She then began working at the Breckenridge Senior Center where she met Carl Simonitch. They began their life together as a married couple on June 23, 1990. Kathleen enjoyed helping people and worked as a senior home companion for the Wilkin Family Services agency. She believed in staying busy and brought this conviction also to the Red River Human Services Center in Wahpeton where she helped those living in the group homes. Her beloved husband, Carl, passed away on January 1, 1993. In 2005, she decided to retire to spend as much time with her loved ones as she could.

She thoroughly enjoyed her family and friends, reading, dancing, and singing. She spent much of her day working on intricate embroidery projects that she gifted to her grandchildren and dear friends. When she was not working on her embroidery or crocheting, she could be found solving several different types of puzzles and tending to her houseplants. Most of all, Kathleen’s strong faith filtered through every area of her life. She raised her children by giving them a strong foundation in Christ’s love and devotion. She talked with God and prayed extensively for her family every day. Kathleen was a devoted mother who listened, calmed every anxious thought, and spoke tenderness and love into her grandchildren’s lives. Her cheerful attitude, singing, dancing, and laughter will be greatly missed.

Kathleen is survived by her children, Rickey Jacobson of Fort Mohave, AZ, Jacob Rodney Jacobson of Hibbing, MN, Jacqueline (Ed) White of Camden Point, MO, Allen (Patty) Jacobson of Hibbing, MN, Jocelyn (Steven) Luebke of Strasburg, ND, and Jeannie (Lynn) Bjore of Wahpeton, ND; 23 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; many nieces and nephews; her siblings, Iris Meyer of Foreman, ND, Dean Stabnow of Britton, SD, and Bob Stabnow of Delano, MN; and one aunt, Margaret Huckell Nichols of La Mesa, CA.

Kathleen is preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Bessie (Huckell) Stabnow; 2 brothers, Bill and Roger Stabnow; and one sister, Darlene McCarlson.

The family invites you to Bethel Lutheran Church in Wahpeton, ND for lunch.