Kathleen Thaves

Kathleen Teresa Thaves passed away suddenly of natural causes at her home, with her daughter Eileen at her side. She was born in Bayview, Washington the seventh of eight children, to Ernest and Mary (Kelly) Enhelder (pioneer grain growers on Whidbey Island).   As a child she lived in Bayview, Marysville, Everett, and Bremerton, graduating from Bremerton High School in 1942.  As a child, her family made trips by train to their parents’ home in Wisconsin. She married Henry in 1942 with his passing in 2007. They resided in Bremerton, Addy, Spangle and Fairfield, settling in their Belfair home for the last 58 years. Together they reared 4 children, daughters Mary Gunn, Jean Robertson, Eileen Thaves and son Terry Thaves. As a homemaker, she worked in grocery stores in Bremerton, helped with their dairy farm in Addy, drove bulk truck for the wheat farm in Spangle, after settling in Belfair she baby sat for neighbors, taught catechism, sold Avon in Bremerton, worked on the election board, picked apples with Henry in Quincy after his retirement.  Kathleen is a past Master of Twanoh Grange, where she was very active in the completion of the former hall. She had a great love of gardening, canning and her flowers (large dahlia garden and oversized rhododendrons). She traveled extensively while accompanying her daughter Eileen on business trips to Virginia, California, Hawaii, and Japan. She and Henry traveled by train to the east coast on the north route, down the East Coast and back to the west coast on the southern route. They also made journeys to Wisconsin and Minnesota to visit family. Her most prized time was her taking care of and loving her grandchildren while their parents worked. She was a great influence on her nieces, nephews, and neighborhood children due to her love and affection. Kathleen is survived by her children, granddaughters, Kelly Gunn, Sheri & Trisha Thaves, grandsons Michael Robertson, Ben & Fredrick Thaves, and one great grandson James Lewis. She is preceded in death by her parents, 4 sisters, 3 brothers, and a granddaughter, Shannon. Funeral Mass will be at 11:00 am on Monday, February 9, 2009 at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Belfair.  Interment will be at Twin Firs Cemetery in Belfair.