Kathleen Anne Ruesch

Kathleen Anne (Christensen) Ruesch was born in Denver, Colorado to Frances (Gerken) and Allen Christensen. She was baptized at Mount Calvary Lutheran in Denver, confirmed at Hope Lutheran in Aurora.

Kathie graduated from Cherry Creek High School in 1966, attended St Johns Jr College in Winfield, Kansas, followed by 3 years at Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, MO for her RN license and later obtained a BS in Healthcare Management.

Her nursing career led her in many paths including dialysis and transplant care in Ft Lauderdale, hospital and social services nursing in Thousand Oaks, CA and clinic nurse at Colorado Allergy and Asthma followed by research nursing within the clinic. Following her relocation to Lindenhurst, Illinois, she pursued a career in the pharmaceutical industry for approximately 20 years. She thoroughly enjoyed the medical field and helping her patients no matter their health situations.

She was married at Mt Olive Lutheran to David Aronson in December 1976 and this union was blessed with a daughter, Cassandra Aronson Shadron. Kathie and Dave later divorced, and she later married James Ruesch in 1991.

Kathie was active at the many Lutheran churches she attended throughout her life. Being involved means you learn who your church family really are and how to be of help.

She loved being outdoors and especially gardening and working in the yard, she also found working in her daughter’s classroom as a volunteer to be very fulfilling. In the past 17 years, helping and being with her 4 grandchildren was such a blessing. Kathie enjoyed traveling and it was one of the many joys in life, her favorite places to visit: Israel (Sailing on the Sea of Galilee) and Zimbabwe (African Safari). She was also blessed to have friends and family to travel with and took many cruises and visited many sites in this wonderful country and around the world.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Frances and Allen Christensen, her brother Michael Christensen, David Aronson and James Ruesch.

She is survived by her daughter Cassandra and Russ Shadron (grandchildren, Claire, Jillian and Luke), stepdaughter Kelly (Ruesch) and Tim Stroh (granddaughter, Tia & Bryan Nowicki, great-grandchildren, Berlin & Benson), and stepson Troy Ruesch. Also, her two brothers and their wives, Dana & Cindy Christensen and Eric & Pam Christensen, Sister-in-law (Mike’s widow) Donna Christensen as well as many nieces and nephew.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Mt Olive Lutheran Church in Aurora, Colorado.