Reverend Kathryn Wadsley

Reverend Kathy Wadsley, age 74, of Storm Lake, Iowa passed away on Friday, January 3, 2025, at Park View Care Center in Sac City, Iowa. Memorial services will take place Friday, January 10, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. at United Methodist Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the Delaware Township Cemetery in Nemaha. Visitation will be held Thursday, January 9, 2025 from 4-7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Croix Hospice, the Storm Lake United Methodist Church, or the Delaware Township Cemetery in care of Gerri Ringgenberg 1951 Needham Ave. Nemaha, Iowa 50567. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. Reverend Kathryn Louise Wadsley was born to Charles J. and Marjorie I. (Noll) Wadsley June 18, 1950, on Father’s Day in Storm Lake, Iowa. She was baptized on November 5, 1950, in the United Methodist Church in Nemaha, Iowa. She attended the Delaware Township Consolidated School in Nemaha from K-7 grade and 8th -12 grades at Crestland Community School graduating in 1968. Attended Buena Vista College in 1968 – 1972 graduating with a BA degree in 1972 with a major in music education and a minor in French. Graduating Cum Laude, Torch and Tassel, Honor Roll and President’s List. She taught music in several schools - Rock Valley Community School, Wall Lake Community School District, Cedar Valley Community School. She especially enjoyed the younger grades. She was named Outstanding Young Women in America 1973 and received the John Lennon Award for Outstanding Christian Educator, East Ohio Conference UMC in 2011. Kathy’s Christian beliefs kept tugging at her and she answered God’s call. She was accepted as an Associate in Christian Education June 8, 1985; was recommended for Candidacy for Diaconal Ministry February 18, 1991. Kathy attended Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and received her Master of Christian Education May 28, 1993, and was then ordained as Deacon June 13, 1998. Rev. Kathy traveled to Japan and participated in an exchange program with the Methodist Church and felt her life was enriched by this experience. Rev. Kathy served at the First United Methodist Church, Cedar Falls, IA; Ankeny First United Methodist Church; Diaconal Minister of Education and Program for EUMC in Easley, South Carolina; Faith United Methodist Church, Rockville, MD; Hudson United Methodist Church in Hudson, OH; and St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, Bowie MD. Rev. Kathy served on numerous church, educational and community committees in the different communities she lived in. She put on conference programs for continuing education at several of the Educational Conferences she attended. 2016 Kathy retired and moved to Storm Lake to be around her parents. She was a member of the Storm Lake United Methodist Church assisting wherever she was needed with the different children’s and outreach programs. In her spare time she played the organ for SLUMC as a college student, bass clarinetist in SL Muni Band and community choirs wherever she lived, taught private piano and organ lessons. She wrote poetry, created a three-year common lectionary Advent-Christmas and Lenten Calendars which are still distributed. Rev. Kathy traveled to Scotland and visited with a nephew and his family and enjoyed the short time she spent with them. Living in the DC area she had the opportunity to visit another nephew and cherished getting to spend time there. While residing in Park View Care Center, Miss Kathy had many friends with staff and residents and was usually seen wearing her red hat. Kathy loved to participate in the many activities. Kathy has 5 siblings, Joe Wadsley (Karen), Odebolt; Sadie (Shirlee) M. Hawkins Hatcher, Green Valley, AZ; Lona Munger (Don), Nemaha; C. Alan Wadsley (Angie), Peterson, IA; Roy Wadsley (Le), Nemaha. 9 nieces and nephews and 17 great-nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by: Charles J. Wadsley, father; Marjorie I. Wadsley, mother; grandparents, Clarence and Florence Wadsley, Jim and Lora Noll, Mabel Dixson; Joe Hatcher, brother-in-law, Dick Hawkins, brother-in-law, Carrie J. Wadsley, niece.

Reverend Kathryn Wadsley

June 18, 1950 - January 3, 2025