Kathleen Gunvaldson

Kathleen Margaret Gunvaldson In the morning hours of May 29th, Kathleen Margaret Gunvaldson, age 78, stepped into eternity where she was one with Christ. As Jesus welcomed her in and ushered her back into the arms of the ones who went before her, we can only imagine the reunion that commenced. There is no doubt she was swept into the embrace of her parents, sister, brothers, and son-in-law who awaited her arrival. Kathleen and her identical twin, Kathryn, were born March 31, 1945, to Edward and Marie Sholseth in Tacoma, WA. The family moved to Sunnyside, WA, in 1948 where she spent her childhood and eventually graduated from Sunnyside High School in 1963. Kathleen went on to Grandview School of Nursing and graduated with her LPN license in 1965. Shortly after graduation she moved to Longbeach, CA where she was a med nurse before returning home to the Yakima Valley in late 1966. She returned to nursing in the mid eighties in Yakima, but her number one priority was her family. While she basks in the glory of heaven, we are left in the presence of melancholy on this side of the veil. But we take heart in the memories she leaves us with. Kathleen was known for making memorable trouble with her children, setting mischievous standards for her grandchildren, and was sneaky to the core. Her pranks, tricks, and jokes still have us well versed in laughter. For when she wasn’t making mischief with her children or sneaking her grandchildren cookies for breakfast, she was swapping places with her identical twin for the sake of ornery and intentional confusion. One thing that most prominently stood out among family, friends, and strangers was Jeff and Kathleen’s relationship. After 57 years of marriage, Jeff and Kathleen experienced some of the most awe-inspiring moments life had to offer along with some of the most life-altering heartbreak. Though their circumstances in life were never consistent as the story goes, they did have consistent love and principles. Their partnership had a unity and singularity that, by God's grace, saw them through every age. Death is inevitable—but so is resurrection. So when the tears befriend us and trickle down our faces, we can allow ourselves to be watchful of the resurrections. Until we are one again with Kathleen we will listen more intently to the meadowlark’s croon, savor the jealous flavors of chocolate, and skip our daily duties to misbehave. Kathleen kept alive in herself the love for her Savior. During all seasons of life, you could find her singing praises, studying the Bible and meditating on Christ, so shall it be forever. As Kathleen always said, “Good-bye for now.” Kathleen is survived by her husband Jeff Gunvaldson, sister Gladys Nelson, daughters Kim Gunvaldson, Carol Carpenter, Cherri (Bill) Kroner, and son Steven (Tina) Gunvaldson, and many grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Kathleen Gunvaldson, please visit our flower store.