Kathleen Boettcher

Kathy died peacefully Sunday November 1st, 2026, in Napa, CA.

Mass of Christian Burial is pending at Holy Family Catholic Church in Lindsay.

Kathy was born Feb. 13th, 1943, in rural Humphrey, NE to William L. and Angela A. (Borer) Stenger. She graduated in 1961 from Holy Family High School in Lindsay NE. After high school she met Gary Boettcher, the man who would become her husband. They were married on Oct 27th, 1962, in Lindsay NE, and spent the next forty-eight years together until his death in September 2011.

In 1964 they moved to California where all four of their children (Lisa, Lori, Gary Jr., and Matthew) were born and where they made many life-long friends. They enjoyed camping, playing games (poker, dominos, and anything involving cards), and entertaining friends and family. In 1986 they moved to Colorado where Kathy owned and operated three businesses: Kathy’s Kandy Company and two convenience stores.

In 2000 the couple retired and fulfilled a long-held dream to travel. They sold their home in Colorado Springs and took to the road in their RV. They spent winters in Arizona and summers travelling the country, eventually reaching all forty-nine of the drivable US states. As an international traveler she visited Costa Rica, Scotland, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Vatican City, and the Holy Land in Israel. The couple would eventually buy a home in Casa Grande, AZ in 2008 where she lived until relocating to Napa, CA in 2019 to be closer to family.

Kathy’s Roman Catholic faith was very important to her and singing hymns at mass was one of the high-points of her week. She donated her time to the church community as a member of the Women’s Guild and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. In her travels she had the opportunity to visit many holy sites in Europe and the Holy Land, and attended a Papal Mass with Pope Francis in 2013.

Preceding Kathy in death are her parents William and Angela Stenger; her husband Gary Boettcher; five sisters Mary Jane Stenger, Jacqueline Stenger, Madonna Stenger, Mary Jo Stenger, and Bonita Ramaekers; three brothers William Stenger, Richard Stenger, and Adrian Stenger; niece Brenda Ramaekers; nephews Douglas Engelbert, Brian Ramaekers, and great-nephew Dylan Stenger.

Kathy is survived by two sisters Janice (Gene) Engelbert of Columbus, NE, and Diane (Bill) Tworek of Columbus, NE; two brothers, Glenn (Dee) of Omaha, NE, and Danny (Carolynne) of Lindsay, NE; daughters Lisa (Troy) Larson of Sioux Falls, SD, and Lori (Dan) Halsey of Napa, CA; sons Gary Jr. (Danielle) Boettcher of Castle Rock, CO, and Matthew (Kristi) Boettcher of West Richland, WA; seven grandsons Zack (Katie) Larson, Josh Larson, Jake Larson, Adam (Ciara) Halsey, Dylan Boettcher, Lucas Boettcher, and Kai Boettcher; five granddaughters Sarah (Andrew) Allen, Erin Halsey, Clare Halsey, Sienna Boettcher, and Elliana Boettcher; four great-grandsons Luke Allen, James Allen, John Allen, and Paul Allen; and two great-granddaughters Wren Larson and Aubree Larson, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Alzheimer's Association or Habitat for Humanity.