Kathryn Jeanette Kistler

Kathryn (Kay) Kistler, 95, of Davenport, Iowa, passed away on December 11, 2023 at Good Samaritan in Davenport, Iowa. A private committal service will take place on Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:00 am, at Davenport Memorial Park. Memorials may be left to The Good Samaritan Society. And online condolences may be expressed at www.weertsfh.com.

Kay was born on September 9, 1928 in Calamus, Iowa to Ernest Raiber and Mary Raiber (Rusmissel). She married Dwight Kistler on September 12, 1948 in Calamus, Iowa. Together they had two daughters, Mary Jan and Kandace (Kandy). Kay worked as a Secretary for Davenport Public Schools for 30 years, retiring in 1995.

Kay spent the first 14 years of her life on a cotton farm in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma with her father, mother, and brother Robert. Life was hard, especially since their life in Oklahoma coincided with the Great Depression and the dust bowl years. She had many stories about her life in Oklahoma including taking naps on her cotton sack while she was supposed to be picking and, because they had some dairy cows, making ice cream every Sunday after church, to name just two.

Kay’s mother, Mary, died when Kay was 12, and Robert left the farm and joined the service. Ernie and Kay lasted two years farming alone, finally deciding it was too much and moved back to Calamus living with Ernie’s mother, Katie. Kay was so excited to have electricity that she turned the lights on and off until Ernie had had enough.

In high school Kay joined the Calamus girls’ basketball team playing guard, even though she was only 5’3”. She also met her friends for life, Janet Malmanger (Nagle) and JoAnn Porth (Shelton).

She met the love of her life at the Prom Roller Rink in Davenport. They had 60 years of marriage until Dwight died of cancer in 2009. They sold their home in Davenport and spent the last 17 years of their marriage RVing throughout the United States making many friends and especially enjoying the time spent traveling with Dwight’s brother and sister in law Byron and Bernice Kistler of Washington State.

Kay loved competition. She was a ruthless card player. She and Dwight spent many years going to Iowa City rooting on the Hawkeyes football team. She was an avid Chicago Cubs fan. She had a gift when recalling team members and coaches from years past in college and professional football and baseball.

She loved, loved, loved her grandchildren and everyone looked forward to holidays at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It is sad that her great grandchildren were not able to experience the loving chaos that encompassed the holidays there.

Survivors include her daughters: Mary McMeekin (Mike Vaughn) of Davenport and Kandace (David) Asmus of Scottsdale, AZ; four grandchildren- -Elizabeth (Christian) Pedersen, of Castle Rock, CO; Saul (Megan) McMeekin of Missoula, MT; Lauren (Brian) Teixeira of Sacramento, CA; and Rachel Asmus (Jo Toribio Torres) of Phoenix, AZ; two step granddaughters Shelly (David) Cannon and Christy (Mike) Zemo both of Davenport; four great-grandchildren—Rebecca and Owen Pedersen, and Taylor and Rylie McMeekin, and three step great grandchildren— Griffin Isham and Zoey and Luke Zemo.

Her family would like to thank the wonderful friends she made at Good Samaritan Independent Living who were there for her, and to especially thank the wonderful people at Good Samaritan Nursing Home and Heartland Hospice who were so kind and attentive to Kay and supportive to her family the last weeks of her life.

A memorial will be held in Davenport at a later date.