Obituary for Kathleene "Kathy" Anne (Knutson) Iverson

Kathleene "Kathy" Anne (Knutson) Iverson, 80, of West Salem passed away peacefully at Gundersen Health System on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Kathy was born on Feb 23, 1942, to Archie and Norma (Hooverson) Knutson in Richland County, WI. She grew up in Esofea, WI, where she attended a one-room schoolhouse until she transferred to Viroqua High School. It was there that she met her husband of 62 years, Marvin Iverson. Kathy and Marvin married the day after she turned 18, on Feb. 24, 1960, in Viroqua, WI. After a short time living in a farmhouse in Vernon County, they moved to La Crosse, where Kathy attended the University of WI-La Crosse, earning a degree in Secondary Education. After a brief move to the Twin Cities, they settled into their home of over 50 years in West Salem, where they raised three children. Kathy held a variety of jobs while raising her children, including as a bank teller, dental assistant and home daycare provider before beginning her career at G. Heileman Brewing Company, where she worked for more than 15 years. At Heileman's, Kathy started as a payroll clerk and worked her way up to Director of HR. After Heileman's closed, Kathy began what she referred to as "the happiest years of my life" babysitting her grandchildren while their parents worked. Kathy enjoyed cooking and baking, canning, reading and caring for her beautiful plants. She and Marv enjoyed traveling to the Duluth/Superior area as well as many other states, including Hawaii. They were active in the West Salem Historical Society for many years and were long-time members of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in West Salem. More than anything, Kathy loved spending time with family and friends. Going to Grandma's house was always a special treat for her grandchildren. She will be deeply missed and forever loved by her family. Survivors include her husband, Marvin; two daughters, Amy (Jerry) Clements and Rebecca (Steve) Furuta; brothers, Richard (Patti Gorman) Knutson and James Knutson; grandchildren, Blake Clements, Samantha (Nathan) Peplinski, Brandon Furuta, Logan Furuta and Alexa Furuta; great-grandchildren, Jackson and Odette. She is further survived by sister-in-law Sandra Iverson and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Kathy was preceded in death by her son, Jon. We would like to thank the staff and nurses at Gundersen Hospital for their attentive care over the last couple of weeks. Jandt-Fredrickson Funeral Home and Cremation Service is assisting with the arrangements. Per Kathy's wishes, the family will hold a private ceremony at Viroqua Cemetary at a later date.