Kathleen Irwin

Kathleen B. Irwin, 95 years old, went to be with the Lord, at 9:15 a.m., November 1st, 2017, beloved wife of Robert Irwin for 63 years, who preceded her in death November 16, 2006.

Loving Mother of Jan Sadd of Hope Valley, Rhode Island, Perry Irwin of Decatur, Illinois, and Brian and Linda Irwin of Leawood, Kansas.

She leaves behind her grandchildren, Nina Duthie and husband Torquil Duthie of Los Angeles, California, Emily Johnson and her husband Adam Johnson of Merriam, Kansas, and Andy Irwin and his wife Morgan Irwin of Overland Park, Kansas.

Kathleen B. Evans was born in Hindsboro, Illinois., in 1922. At the age of 19, she traveled to Bainbridge, Indiana, to work as a baker and waitress and live with her Aunt Rosetta. Thereafter she moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and met her husband-to-be, Bob.

They courted and were married in Denver, Colorado, Feb 2, 1943, while Bob was in the Army Air Corps. From Denver they went to West Point, where Bob served at the academy. While there, they enjoyed the time they lived in nearby Newburg, New York. They were then apart more than they were together, Bob traveling all over the states and then overseas to Guam, Saipan and Tinian, while Kathy remained in Indianapolis. Their daughter, Jan, was born while Bob finished out his tour of duty.

After his honorable discharge, Bob joined his wife and daughter in Indianapolis, and then Hindsboro before being accepted to the University of Illinois to major in Architecture.

After graduation Bob and Kathy, lived in Decatur and Mt. Zion, Illinois until 1983. During this time, they founded the Mt. Zion Region News, a weekly newspaper, and then purchased the Lovington Reporter, also a weekly newspaper.

They published both papers for 21 years, with Kathleen as the editor and Bob as the publisher. They officially retired from their work in 1983.

Kathleen was an artist, a writer and a mother, but most importantly a newspaper woman ahead of her time. She used her writing, her creativity and her proofreading skills, reporting weekly on the local news and overseeing the creation of master copies of both newspapers, every week. She successfully operated, printed and distributed two local weekly newspapers, serving the communities of Central Illinois for 21 years. The papers were mailed to subscribers in all 50 states.

Upon retiring from the newspaper business, Kathleen was busy with volunteer duties at Christ Lutheran Church in Decatur, Illinois, with family visits, and setting up homes in Wakefield, Rhode Island, then Seminole, Florida and finally in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

She was active in Lutheran churches, at the Mid Continent Library in Lee’s Summit and at Cedar Lake Retirement Community in Olathe, Kansas.

She later moved to an assisted living facility in Olathe and most recently to one in Leawood during her final years. She had a reduced level of hearing and a severely reduced ability to see, but her kind heart, her spirit of liveliness and always keeping herself ”just so” helped her conclude her life with dignity and love.