Obituary of Katherine Jean Nelson Undis

Katherine, known as Kay to her friends, was born to Arthur and Margaret Nelson on December 30, 1933 in Minneapolis, MN. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 6, 2012 in Tacoma, WA after spending a joyous day at a Super Bowl party with her family. Katherine’s early life was spent at the family home on Lotus Lake, near Excelsior. She was a cheerleader and homecoming queen at Excelsior High School, a fact is she didn’t want people to know about in later life. After graduation, she worked as a secretary for Hennepin County Dept. of Court Services. She then became a stewardess for Northwest Airlines. When forced to quit flying because of age in her early thirties, she went to battle, along with other women, to fight this age discrimination. A year later, she won her battle and returned to flying, this time flying out of Seattle, which brought her to move to Tacoma. On one of her flights upon returning to work, she met her future husband, Jack Undis, who was a fellow crew member. Jack’s description of this meeting is hilarious. She made quite an impression on him that day because he watched her carrying a tray of ice cream desserts up the aisle and a passenger had his foot out, which made her trip and send the ice cream flying all over the place. Jack said that when he looked down the airplane, it looked like a bunch of ice cream sundaes with the ice cream dripping from passenger’s heads. Katherine and Jack became parents of two lovely daughters, Meg and Jean. Besides being a mother and wife, Katherine started to show her wonderful artistic side. She learned how to do flamework glass art, and started making gorgeous glass Christmas ornaments, which she was able to sell at art shops and art shows. One year, her all-glass icicle decorated Christmas tree at the Festival of Lights won the People’s Choice award. Katherine was a fireball of action at all times. She was always ready to take on any fight for social justice or environmental causes, especially saving areas for wildlife. She was always on the side of the underdog, which unfortunately at times allowed her to be taken advantage of. She was able to see humor in all situations, and bring laughter to all that were around her. Before becoming a devoted mother and grandmother, she made a huge difference in the life of her little sister, Janice, who was only eight years old when their father died. She did everything she could to help out her mother at all times. She gave to others all her life, but her greatest fault was she never was able learn how to receive help in return. Katherine is survived by daughters Meg (Troy) Colquhoun and Jean (Mike) Carver, grandchildren Riane, Ellie, & Jack Colquhoun; Maddi and Lily Carver, sister Janice Pittman, brother-in-law Jim Oberg, and numerous nephews and nieces. Preceded in death are parents Arthur and Margaret Nelson, husband Jack Undis, sister Mary Oberg, brother-in-law Don Pittman. Donations may be made in her memory to The Nature Conservancy – Washington, (Ellsworth Creek Preserve), Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, or Tahoma Audubon. Arrangements by Edwards Memorial. 253-566-1008.