Kathy Jane Dannen

1949 - 2023

Kathy Jean Dannen

February 6, 1949 - February 14, 2023

Kathy Jean Dannen, 74, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother passed away peacefully at Lydia's House in the Mennonite Village on February 14, 2023.

Kathy was born in San Diego, California to Lester and Elizabeth Kurrasch. Her family later settled in Oregon where she attended Crawfordsville Elementary School. She graduated from Central Linn High School in 1967 and completed a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education at Oregon State University in 1971. While a student at OSU, Kathy was married to her husband of 52 years, Martin Dannen, on June 13, 1970 in Brownsville, Oregon.

Martin and Kathy began teaching careers together in Australia after college. After sons, Allen and Patrick, were born she taught kindergarten and 2nd grade at Central Linn Elementary until she retired in 2004. After a short pause, Kathy went back to work part-time as a children's librarian at the Lebanon Public Library. Throughout her career and retirement, she was a dedicated volunteer to many causes including the Lebanon Soup Kitchen, the Lebanon FISH food pantry, the Oregon Veterans' Home, Lebanon Community Hospital, and Laundry Love. She and Martin also traveled to Kenya three times on volunteer mission trips and did worked in Utah for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

Kathy was talented and crafty, often with multiple sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, cross stitch and decorating projects going on at once. She also enjoyed playing piano at home and singing hymns in church. Kathy loved to shop and travel and was always happy when there were places to go and things to do. Later in life, she enjoyed lunch with friends, daily walks with Martin, or a ride in the car with a stop for a vanilla milkshake on the way. Most of all, she loved spending time with her family.

Kathy is survived by her husband, Martin, brother, Tom Kurrasch, sister, Carla Kurrasch, son and daughter-in-law, Allen and Amy Dannen, son, Patrick Dannen, and grandchildren, Jack, Sadie, Lauren, Alex, and Zach Dannen.

A memorial service will be held at Lebanon United Methodist Church on March 16 at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to FISH of Lebanon or AIDS Orphans Project at Maua Hospital, Advance #140161.