Katherine A. Moen

Katherine A. Moen, 103 ½, died Sunday, May 26, 2024, at Bethesda Home of Aberdeen. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, 1111 S Main Street, Aberdeen.

The service will be livestreamed through the Spitzer-Miller website via the obituary page. Visitation with family will be held one hour prior to the service as well as during a reception held at the Spitzer-Miller Fellowship Hall following the service. A private burial will be held at Riverside Memorial Park.

Katherine Alice Jones was born to Gilbert and Emily (Johnson) Jones on November 14, 1920, in Ipswich. She had two younger brothers, Bob and Jon. She enjoyed living on a farm, assisting her dad with chores, and going to a one-room rural school.

She graduated from Ipswich High School in 1938. In the fall of 1938, she took a one-year teacher's course at Northern Normal and Industrial School and then taught one year at a rural school in Edmunds County. She returned to Northern State Teacher's College and received a state certificate in 1941. She taught first grade for a total of five years – two at Wessington, two at Britton, and one at Watertown. In 1967, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a minor in History from Northern State College in Aberdeen.

Katherine married Harvey Moen on August 17, 1946, and celebrated 55 years of marriage before Harvey's death in 2001. In 1950 they built their life-long home on Lincoln Street where they raised their four children, David, Richard, Paul, and Jane. Katherine utilized her gifts as a homemaker, stay-at-home Mom, wife and faithful supporter of Harvey in his music career at Northern State, and active volunteer in numerous organizations.

Katherine had a full and rewarding life. She was gracious, hard-working, cheerful, kind, responsible and interested in current events. Katherine valued faith and family above all else. She and Harvey loved having their entire family together. She was a devoted Christian, a role model and inspiration to many people.

Katherine's involvement at the Aberdeen First United Methodist Church (now Aldersgate) began when she became a member in 1947. She often served as a leader/ teacher in the United Methodist Women, Ruth Circle, Together Class, Grief Group, helped with the annual Rummage Sale and over the years served on most church committees.

Katherine's involvement with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and passion for Christian missions led to responsibilities as the SD Hunger Coordinator. She traveled to Haiti with a group of United Methodists from South Dakota in 1982. That trip was the start of a relationship between the Haiti church with SD United Methodists and marked the beginning of what is now Solar Oven Partners. Katherine also served as a lay member to the SD Annual Conference for nearly 20 years, and in 1989, was honored for her "devoted service and commitment to lay ministry."

Katherine was active in PEO, League of Women Voters, Aberdeen Area Retired Teachers, NSU Faculty Wives, Retired Senior Volunteers, Westerners, and a Faculty Wives Bridge Club. Katherine was still active in most organizations and led a women's exercise class through the Aberdeen Recreation Department until shortly before her 99th birthday. She cherished the life-long friendships she developed through these groups.

Katherine and Harvey enjoyed traveling and visited every area of the United States and many parts of Canada and Europe. Katherine loved working in the yard and maintained large flowerbeds. Katherine was an avid reader, mainly biblical and Christian literature, social issues, and history. She enjoyed writing weekly letters to family and supporting the arts by attending Northern and community concerts and events.

Katherine moved to the Bethesda Home of Aberdeen on her 99th birthday after a fall. Her 100th "pandemic" birthday celebration consisted of a "parade" of friends with signs walking or driving past Bethesda while Katherine waved and smiled through the window. It was special to see friends and have a brass trio from Northern play the school song as they paraded past - it affirmed those life-long connections with and commitment of the Moen family to NSU's instrumental music program.

Katherine is survived by her four children, David (Julie) Moen of Vermillion, Richard (Mary Kay) Moen of Houston, Tex., Paul (Rita) Moen of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and Jane (Paul Frederiksen) Moen of Cedar Falls, Iowa; five grandchildren, Chris (Lindsay) Moen, Bryton (Zoë) Moen, Makyla (Daniel) Harrison, Steven Moen, Emily Moen; and one great-grandson, Rome Harrison. She is also survived by a sister-in-law, Ann Jones, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Katherine was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey; her parents, Gilbert and Emily; two brothers, Bob and Jon; sister-in-laws, Rosemary and Virginia; and niece, Sandel Long. She was also preceded in death by Harvey's parents, Ole and Anita Moen, and Harvey's siblings, Evelyn (Kermit) Johnson, Marian Hamer, Maxine (Robert) Kamm, Shirley Martin, James (Arlene) Moen and nieces, Anita Westerhaus and Mary West.

A special thank you to Bethesda staff for the care they provided, to hospice workers for their more recent care, and to those who kept in touch via visits, calls or notes.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions be given to the Harvey and Katherine Moen Band Scholarship Endowment at Northern State University Foundation, 620 15th Avenue SE, Aberdeen, SD 57401 or the Katherine and Harvey Moen Missions Endowment at the Dakotas Methodist Foundation, P.O. Box 460, Mitchell, SD 57301.