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Kathleen (Koerner) Hilgers

Posted 2019-05-22 by Pat R
Wickenburg Sun (Wickenburg, Arizona)
Wednesday, May 8, 2019, p. A-5

Kathleen Koerner Hilgers passed away April 27, 2019, one day after her 90th birthday. Katie lived a life of deep devotion and love for her family--a humble, fierce, and unconditional love that is carried in the hearts of those here today: Keith Hilgers, her husband of 72 years; their four children Ken Hilgers, Karen Hubbert, Kevin Hilgers, and Kyle Hilgers; her eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Katie is survived by her sister, Marietta Kamas of the Boulder, Colo., area, and reunites with her brother Jack Koerner who passed in 2017.

Katie's family is a testament to the strength of her devotion, and to the humble goodness she brought into this world. The light of her heart reaches far and wide, not only to those who were blessed to know her, but beyond to the many lives they have touched in turn.

Katie was born in Sterling, Colo., and through her friend Arlene, met Keith Hilgers in her late teens. They married and made the Boulder area their home for 20 years, where Ken and Karen were raised, and Kevin and Kyle spent their adolescent years. In 1968, the family relocated to Wickenburg, where Kevin and Kyle graduated from Wickenburg High School, and where Ken Hilgers resides today. Keith, Kevin and Kyle live in the greater Phoenix area, and Karen in the Pacific Northwest.

Katie's dedication to her family was surely influenced by the loss of her mother at an early age. Required to be independent earlier than most, Katie called on her deep well of strength, resilience, and faith, and later poured herself into motherhood and creating "Home."

As anyone who has stepped into Katie's home knows, it was a welcoming sanctuary of kindness and comfort. Her home was also a canvas for her unbridled creative expression. A true artist at heart, Katie brought beauty to everything she touched, transforming the mundane into a celebration of color and creativity, from reimagined dresser bureaus and coffee tables to floral flourishes across every surface.

Katie was a woman of deep spirituality and faith, waking in the early hours to say Rosary for those she loved, and living her life in service to the well-being of others. She was adored for her fun loving nature and fiery spirit--always one to cheer out loud, or dance at any opportunity. She had a great passion for music, and loved the likes of Nat King Cole, Johnny Cash, and other soulful singers.

Katie's indomitable spirit lives on, and per her wishes, may we be happy and never forget to celebrate and cherish the gifts of life. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family online at www.dignitymemorial.com.




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