Katherine "Kitty" Kepford

Katherine Eva Kepford was born on March 18, 1923 to Harold and Josephine (Stepanek) Fienhold in Dow City, Iowa. She attended a country school outside of Dow City and then graduated from Missouri Valley High School in 1940. While in high school she took a normal training course and earned her teaching certificate. She went on to further her education at State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She then taught at a country school until 1945. On June 2, 1945, Kitty married Merle Kepford. To their union two children were born; Sandra in 1946 and Dennis in 1951.

Kitty and Merle were Jehovah Witnesses. They started in the Missouri Valley congregation and then moved to the Denison congregation where they were very involved. She served many years as a Girl Scout Leader. Kitty’s mother died young and so she took on the role of helping to raise her younger siblings. That hard work and dedication to those she loved helped to prepare her for life on the farm after she and Merle were married.  She loved flowers, gardening, cooking and made time for crossword puzzles. She looked forward to Memorial Day gatherings with her family. Kitty lived to be the last of her generation on both sides of the family.

Kitty died on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at the Dunlap Care Center at the age of 97 years, five months and 14 days.

Kitty was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Merle Kepford on June 14, 2014; and siblings, Joe, Clifford, Charles, Donald and Lois Campbell. She is survived by her children, Sandra and her husband Bill Wadsworth and Dennis and his wife Marilyn Kepford all of Dunlap, Iowa; 6 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

There will be no services at this time.