Kimberly Walden

URBANA - Kimberly Kay Osterbur Walden passed away Wednesday (Sept. 4, 2024) after a four-year battle with metastatic breast cancer.

But REJOICE! She heard the country twang of Alan Jackson playing nearby, saw the campfire, and joined her sweet Waldo for eternity.

Kim was born to Randall and Sandra Harlan Osterbur on Dec. 4, 1971, and had a magnificently average Midwestern childhood growing up in Ogden with her sister, Kelly (Eric) Kuchefski. Her parents always encouraged her interests in the sciences, and she fell in love with nature and insects in particular.

Kim graduated from St. Joseph-Ogden High School in 1990 and earned her bachelor's degree in biology from Millikin University in Decatur in 1994. She was a member of the social sorority Alpha Chi Omega and met lifelong sisters there. She married Michael Lee Walden on Jan. 1, 1994, her high-school sweetheart, and they were blessed with two children, Spencer Michael in 2000 and Samantha Grace in 2008.

Kim and Mike enjoyed almost 25 years together until he preceded her in death on Feb. 4, 2011, due to septic shock. She earned her master's of science degree in entomology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1996. She then worked as a lab manager for 20 years for Dr. Hugh Robertson, to whom she will always be indebted to for his kindness and generosity throughout her career in the Department of Entomology. When Hugh retired, Kim began working for the Carver Biotechnology Center in 2017, joining the High-Performance Computing in Biology research group.

Kim enjoyed reading, working in her flowers, watching the hummingbirds, but mostly chasing her favorite rascals, Spencer and Samantha. She occasionally taught Sunday school at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, actively volunteered in the kids' Urbana schools as they grew up, and enjoyed working with the costume shop volunteers at the Champaign-Urbana Ballet Company.

Kim was preceded in death by her grandparents, Willard and Dorothy Cox of Ogden and Ernest and Irene Osterbur of Ogden.

Kim is survived by her parents of Urbana; sister and brother-in-law, Kelly and Eric of Urbana; son, Spencer (Shelby) of Urbana; daughter, Samantha at home; Mike's parents, Jimmy and Helen Walden of St. Joseph; Mike's siblings, Cindy (Chris) Little of Tuscola, Rich (Denise) Walden of Sidney and Denise (Scott) Jean of Ivesdale; and all her beloved nephews and nieces, Luke (Danielle) Little, Brody (Nikki) Little and Jared (Kristin) Little, Miranda (Kyle) Logsdon, Brady and Bailey Walden, Calli and Carson Robinson and Reagan, Rush, Lincoln, Owen, Eli, Piper, Parker and Kennedy Little.

Kim also enjoyed the companionship of Allen Mohr of rural Philo for 12 years after Mike's passing, despite Allen's allegiance to the Green Bay Packers. Kim always appreciated Allen letting her be the best parent she could be.

Kim wanted to thank all of her family, friends and caregivers through the Carle Cancer Center network for their kindness and care over her years of treatment.

Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 802 E. Douglas St., St. Joseph. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 9, at the church with burial following in Bill Huss Chapel Cemetery, rural St. Joseph.

Freese Funeral Home, St. Joseph, is in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions can be made at Central Illinois Bank for the benefit of Spencer and Samantha, with the checks made payable to Spencer Walden. Condolences may be made at freesefh.com.