Katherine Ann Love

Celebrating the Life of Katherine Ann (Grove) Love

Kathy was born in Baker, Oregon at St. Elizabeth's Hospital on September 2,1957 to Pat and Paul Grove. She was the only daughter in the family with three brothers. She was loved and cherished by her mom and dad, loved by her brothers, and a blessing to many others. Her brothers (Robert, Russell, and Ronald) knew that she was better than them in most things since she was faster than them, better with horses than them, smarter than them, and the list could go on. There is much to celebrate in remembering the life of Kathy.

Kathy and her older brother Bob would move with their parents to Boise, Idaho when they were young, then they moved back to Baker where Russell was born. The family would then move to Richland, Washington where her dad managed a Standard station for a few years before moving to Medical Springs in Baker County, Oregon. Her family purchased a small ranch where Kathy would develop her love of animals, riding horses, and showing livestock in 4H. She would rise through the ranks of being the one to beat in showing her sheep, which culminated in her becoming the Grand Champion Showman when she was in high school which earned her the right to go to the Oregon State Fair in Salem, Oregon to represent Baker County. As a teenager, she would gain a spot in the world of Hollywood as she cleaned stalls for the movie, Paint Your Wagon with Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin, filmed in the mountains above their ranch. She received a free horse (JJ) for her services on the movie set.

Kathy graduated from Baker High School in 1975 and moved to Seattle, Washington where she attend Puget Sound Christian College. She loved her studies there and excelled academically and on the college's volleyball team. Most importantly it is where she met her love and future husband, Neal Love of Redmond, Oregon. Neal and Kathy would get married in Redmond, Oregon at Redmond Christian Church with Neal's father, Marlin Love conducting the services. Kathy and Neal became husband and wife on September 8, 1979. The couple reached the milestone of their 46th anniversary before Kathy's transition to God's eternal Kingdom.

As an adult, Kathy enjoyed working for World Concern in the development department and worked with Keith Green and Pat Boone to raise money for the ministry's global ministry. Kathy and Neal would then move to Bend, Oregon where she would work in graphic design for a while before starting her own book business. Later, she started a natural cures and remedies internet business, which she later sold for a profit.

In her younger years, Kathy loved to read books all the time, which often got her in trouble with her mother for not doing her chores. This love would carry on throughout her life and led to her first business of buying and selling books. Young Kathy loved to run through the sage brush of Eastern Oregon, which carried on through to her love of hiking as an adult. Neal and Kathy would hike in a number of places including a hike up to the summit of the South Sister. Kathy never lost her love of animals and nature, which is evident by the thousands of pictures she and Neal have on their computers and Facebook.

One of the hallmarks of Kathy's life was her love of God and His Church. Kathy experienced a number of health challenges in her life, but she never lost sight of the hope she had through her relationship with Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. As long as she was able, she was always active and serving in the churches she attended.

Niswonger-Reynolds Funeral Home was honored to handle the arrangements. www.niswonger-reynolds.com