Kathleen René (née Haroldson), 72

Kathleen René (née Haroldson) Firkus, of Stevens Point, passed away with her whole family by her side on March 19, 2023, at the age of 72.

Kathleen, lovingly known as Kathie, was born in Stevens Point to Glenn and Elaine Haroldson on December 20, 1950. She attended Rosholt area schools and graduated in 1969 from Rosholt High School.

While in high school, she met James “Jim” Firkus, the love of her life. On May 15, 1971, the two were married and began building their family, welcoming four beautiful children; Buffy, Dana, Cory, and Josh.

While raising their family, Kathie also worked for Rosholt Schools as a secretary. Then, in 1977, Kathie and Jim relocated to Bergland, Mich. There, she worked as a cook at Antonio’s Restaurant, then as an EMT for Beacon Ambulance and later as a Park Ranger for the Michigan State Park.

Kathie’s greatest joy in life was her family. When her children were young, she never missed any sporting events, performances, or activities; they knew they were her top priority. She worked hard to instill a deep faith in the Lord as well, always making sure they knew God loved them very much.

Once she became a grandmother, she doted on her grandchildren, sharing her love of cooking and baking with them. After all, Kathie could cook and bake anything. Her granddaughters spent most summers in the U.P. with grandma and grandpa, and Kathie treasured spending that time with them. She also had a deep love for her fur-family.

As a young girl, Kathie spent most days with her horse, Jerry, and in more recent years, she adored her little Doxy, Ziva. In her younger years, Kathie spent a lot of time water skiing and swimming at Tree Lakes. In her later years, she enjoyed going to flea markets and rock shows as well as shopping, traveling, getting her nails done, and fishing trips with Jim.

Kathie is lovingly survived by her husband, Jim; her four children, Buffy (Bart) Ferguson of Ann Arbor, Dana (Ronald) Kaminski of Custer, Cory (Jessie) Firkus of Stevens Point, and Josh (Sarah) Firkus of Plover; and her grandchildren, Madelyn, Sidney, Brooklyn, Olivia, Riley, and Eli.

Kathie was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Elaine Haroldson; her grandparents, Art and Alice Doede; two sisters, Judy and Marilyn Haroldson; and one grandchild, Baby Kaminski.

The family would like to express a special thank you to Glen and Rose Miller, Barbara Flynn, Dr. Justin Asquith and his staff from Aspirus Cancer Center, and the Aspirus Intensive Care staff and doctors.

A private family service to honor Kathleen will be held at a later date. Shuda Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the family. Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.shudafuneral.com.