Katheryn Rogne

She was born May 27, 1948, in Telluride, Colo. to the late Omar and Ella Gleason. She graduated from Montrose High School in Colorado, Class of 1966.

Shortly after graduation, Kathy moved to California on a dare. While in California she met her future husband, Robert Rogne, on a blind date, Nov. 11, 1966. He asked her to marry him on Nov. 13, gave her the diamond on “the day Walt Disney died” (Dec. 15), and they were united in marriage on Dec. 31, 1966, just 52 days after their first date. She loved to tell the story of how they met and married.

Their first home was in De Pere, Wis., where they started their family. Eventually, they bought Green Acre Stables in Bellevue, Wis., because of their mutual love of horses, which they shared with their daughters. Over the years life and jobs took them to a number of cities throughout Wisconsin where they were never short of friends. Kathy never met a stranger, just a new friend she hadn’t met yet.

Kathy worked a variety of jobs during her time in the workforce, primarily anything sales-related. She could sell ice to an Eskimo or a TV to a blind man. The summer of 1988 she suffered multiple strokes and was no longer able to work, but that didn’t stop her. She had P.O.P.T. and she’d tell everyone about it. (Power Of Positive Thinking). In the early 2000s, Kathy and Bob bought a home in Tipler, Wis. where they hosted numerous foreign exchange students over the years.

She is survived by her daughters, Shawn (Michael) Loveless of Noblesville, Ind., and Shelby (Patrick) Kussow of Greenleaf. Kathy is further survived by her grandchildren, Austin (Jodi) Loveless, Cody (Hannah) Loveless, Dylan Loveless, Noah Loveless, Brooke (Tom) Manderle, Hunter Kussow, Preston (Annie) Kussow, Garrett Kussow, and Kate Gallaher; her siblings, Dixie Coggins, Roy (Barb) Gleason, Loretta (Lenny) Gedeon, Elbert “Paul” (Patricia) Gleason, Sheryl (Dirk) Hatter, Debra (Vincent) Svec; in-laws, Sally Gleason, Ron (Laura) Rogne, and Nancy Rogne; and many nieces and nephews.

Kathy was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Robert; daughter, Stacy Rogne; parents; siblings, Omar “Bud” Gleason, Margarie Jo and Ralph Bohl; in-laws, Orville Rogne, Anne Klueskens, Betty and Gerald Panten, Dick and Joyce Rogne, and Ilo Reese.

A gathering of family and friends will be held today, beginning with a memorial service at 3 p.m., followed by visitation until 7 p.m. at the Cotter Family Gathering Center, 518 Meadow Lane, Wrightstown, Wis. Kathy’s family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Aurora BayCare in Green Bay for everything they did for Kathy and the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family or a charity of your choice in Kathy’s honor.