Many things can be said about Kathleen Justine Harstad. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic and empathic woman, her compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing her charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. She was warmhearted and gentle in all the things she sought to accomplish.
Kathleen was born on March 8, 1930 in Elkhorn Township in Divide County, ND. Her parents were Sven and Brita (Eknes) Bervik. Kathleen was raised in Elkhorn with her four siblings, Bernice, Otto, and the twins Selmer and Selma.
March 1st, 1951, one week before her 21st birthday, Kathleen married her sweetheart, John Lee Harstad, and became a Navy wife. Kathleen’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was accepting of others translated to being a good mother to her children. Kathleen shared these values with her three children, two sons, Michael and Eric, and one daughter, Laura Lee who, sadly, was only with them for six short days before her passing. Kathleen and Johnny were stationed in several notable places, Portsmouth, where their daughter Laura was born, Nashville, where their two sons were born, as well as more exotic places such as Bangkok and Taiwan. Kathleen was later blessed with two grandsons, John and Adam, as well as their wives, Melinda and Emily who Kathleen wholeheartedly embraced, as well as four great grandchildren, Andrianna, Alianna, Grayson, and Theodore. Her grandchildren adored her and she was the proudest grandma around.
Kathleen took great pleasure in her various hobbies, especially handicrafts and correspondence. Kathleen's favorite pursuit was building friendships and catching up with the many, many people she cared for. She was frequently found knitting or creating other hand crafts, sometimes on her own and many times with crafting groups. She enjoyed gifting her hand made creations to friends and family as a token of her love. Kathleen was an avid letter writer, hand written letters abounded during her youth, moved to email, and then to long texts.
Kathleen was known for her ability to naturally and conscientiously move into action to help others, a quality that placed her as an active contributor to many community activities. Charismatic by nature, she was viewed by others as someone who built bridges, connected to people, and upheld her personal values. She put her writing skills to good use by volunteering as the secretary and newsletter editor for the Ledgewood Homeowners Association in Colorado Springs for many years.
Raised Lutheran and a life long church goer, Kathleen’s faith was important to her. She was compassionate and warm hearted, someone who truly cared for others and that was clearly demonstrated in her work with the congregation, volunteering for many years in the office at Springs Community Church. Kathleen was thrilled to find she was able to continue to attend services at her longtime church home, Springs Community Church, online via streaming when she moved to Denver.
Kathleen's greatest joy was her family. She could recount every niece and nephew and every cousin, even those in Norway, and their many accomplishments. Family genealogy and history was important to her and she kept many old family documents and family heirlooms to pass down. Kathleen was exceptionally proud of her great grandchildren and would happily talk about how Andri sings with the opera, and her artistic namesake Alianna Kathleen, about Grayson who inherited her love of correspondence, and Theo who could chatter with her via Facetime for hours.
Kathleen passed away on May 3, 2022 at Quincy Place in Denver, CO. Kathleen passed peacefully surrounded by her beloved friends and family during her last days. She is survived by her children Michael (Carrie) and Eric; her grandchildren John (Melinda) and Adam (Emily); great grandchildren Andrianna, Alianna, Grayson, and Theodore; sisters Bernice and Selma; and a plethora of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Throughout her life, Kathleen was a gregarious and compassionate woman. She was generous in sharing her personal attributes, giving and helping those she knew and loved. Kathleen leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives she touched will dearly remember Kathleen Justine Harstad.
A visitation for Kathleen will be held Tuesday, May 17, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary & Cemetery, 6601 South Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO 80121. A memorial service will occur Tuesday, May 17, 2022 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 6601 South Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO 80121. A graveside service will occur Tuesday, May 17, 2022 from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM, 6601 South Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO 80121.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerchapelhill.com for the Harstad family.
In lieu of flowers, donations to PlayforPink.org/donations are requested.
A livestream is being offered for any folks not able to attend the service in person. The following link may be followed to watch the livestream:
https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.php?k=1652755257184463
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