Written by Jerry Beiko

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Born January 1950 in the small community of Maidstone, Saskatchewan.
Her family came by ship from Denmark in the summer of 1949. They
arrived at New York City and then onto Maidstone. From Maidstone the family moved to western Manitoba where they settled in the town of Virden. Kitty’s father John helped a newly arrived Danish immigrant, who lived with them, build up a trucking business called “Paul’s Hauling”. Rather than work in the office, John preferred to drive the trucks.

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From Virden Kitty’s family moved to Winnipeg where they bought a house located about two blocks away from where I lived. I wasn’t to meet Kitty for another six years. I like to think that it was “love at first sight” when we met at a downtown bus stop. After two weeks we became engaged and married less than one year later.

 

We moved on to Ottawa soon after, where we resided for fifteen years. Kitty worked in insurance, real estate and home care as a secretary. It was here that we welcomed the arrival of our son, Rob in May of 1977. This was the most joyous event to touch our lives.

 

It was a few years later that Kitty became involved with child care. If she wasn’t tending to other children, she was volunteering extensively at Rob’s school. In fact the vice-principal referred to Kitty as her right hand person. While involved with assisting school children, Kitty contacted business leaders and media celebrities to visit the school. Life was fun and interesting in Ottawa.

 

Upon leaving Ottawa, our family settled in Nova Scotia, namely Sackville and Bedford. Though volunteering had ended for Kitty, she pursued child care with a strong determination. She figures that she looked after forty children in total. Some of these children, as young as a few months, are now adults and Kitty maintains a close, loving relationship with them. I have to say that her death was sudden and unexpected.

 

We would like to thank all of you who have been a part of Kitty's life and have joined us to remember her now. Kitty would be so proud.