Kathleen "Kate" Olson

Kate Olson was an old soul. On Thursday, August 1, 2024, Heaven side rejoiced as she peacefully returned home while surrounded by family and loved ones on both sides of the veil. Although her journey at times was long and arduous, she embraced the challenges of mortality with a faith for the ages, her life becoming a testament of the extraordinary strength and resilience of the human spirit.

Kate was the oldest of four children born to Walt and Gladys Powell. Throughout her childhood and youth, Kate was close to her parents and her brothers, Tim and Mark. By example, she learned the importance of family, faith in Jesus Christ, hard work, and learning.

Kate graduated from Highland High School in 1966 and later that year married her high school sweetheart, Tom Olson. Together they had three children, Kim (Gordon), Amy (Scott), and Clayton. Kate and Tom divorced in 1971. As her children married, Kate was also blessed with 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

In 1974, Kate’s little family of four moved to Murray, Utah where she would then live for the next 43 years. Over those years, she had many treasured friends and neighbors and served in various capacities within her community and ward family as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Having been taught the value of learning, Kate made the decision to return to school to further her education. She obtained an associate’s degree from Salt Lake Community College then went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Westminster College at the age of 40.

Kate enjoyed developing and sharing her talents with everyone around her. After she mastered the art of calligraphy herself, she taught a nighttime community education course in calligraphy for several years. Kate was best known for her love of scrapbooking and sewing. One of her greatest accomplishments in that regard was converting over 50 years of family photos into volumes of scrapbooks that beautifully display and tell the stories of her life.

At age 47, Kate was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease. Like all other challenges in her life, she faced this obstacle with tremendous courage and faith in her Savior, Jesus Christ. Fiercely independent, Kate learned to manage the symptoms of the disease and was able to live in and maintain her own home (with the help of incredible friends and neighbors, of course!) until she was 68, at which time she moved to an assisted living center and then on to a skilled nursing facility, Rocky Mountain Care – Willow Springs. Kate and her family will be forever grateful for the many friends, doctors, nurses, and CNAs who lovingly cared for her over the years.

Kate treasured her family and her faith in Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ above all else, and she had “no greater joy than to hear that [her] children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4). As with all families, Kate and her children experienced times of trial and heartache, as well times of great joy and happiness. With a mother’s faith, Kate taught her children to pray, to ask for strength and help to overcome challenges, to offer praise in times of blessing, and to be grateful in all things. On more than one occasion, after her children had made it through especially tough times of temptation and struggle, she would open her heart, as only a mother can, and confess, “I prayed you home.”

Kate was the beauty and grace of Summer’s most delicate flower, the gentleness of a butterfly, the patience of the clock’s longest day, the kindness of Mother Teresa, the tenacity of a bulldog, and the ferocity of a mother bear all rolled up into a 5-foot, 4-inch ball of fire. She has arrived heaven side, victorious, and is praying us all home, still.

Funeral Services will be held at Memorial Redwood Mortuary at 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah on Friday August 16th at 2PM with a viewing preceding the service from 1PM – 1:45PM. Interment will follow at Memorial Redwood Cemetery at the same location.

Streaming of Funeral Services has been added below for friends and family to enjoy.