Katherine Gartner, 98, New England, went peacefully to her eternal home on April 18, 2011, as her daughters surrounded her with their love at St. Joseph’s Hospital & Health Center, Dickinson. Katherine’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Monday, April 25, 2011 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, New England, with Fr. Basil Atwell, OSB as the celebrant and Fr. Patrick Moore, OSB con-celebrating. Visitation will be on Sunday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the church with a rosary & vigil at 7 p.m., with Fr. Patrick Moore, OSB presiding, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Monday.

Katherine, the second of ten children, was born November 25, 1912 to Frank and Margaret (Herberholz) Gyolai. She grew up on their farm northwest of New England, the farm homesteaded by her father after coming to America.

She married, the love of her life, William Gartner on November 14, 1932 at St. Mary’s Church in New England. They lived in the New England area all their married life, moving into town in 1954. In 1971 they purchased the house which was Katherine’s home for 35 years following the death of her husband in 1973. One of her greatest accomplishments was that she was able to live alone in her own house until just two months before her death.

Katherine loved to dance and sing. She enjoyed working outdoors caring for a garden and her flowers especially her geraniums. She was a wonderful cook, and her family always enjoyed the many German dishes and pastries she made, seldom using a recipe. Anyone who visited with her would enjoy her stories of her younger years and the good and bad times she experienced during her nearly a century of life in North Dakota.

Katherine had a loving heart and was a special gift to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Katherine is survived by her two daughters, Caroline Robinson, New England, and Kathleen Gartner, Aurora, Colo.; two sons-in-law, David Koller, New England, and Ron Filkowski, Richland, Wash.; four grandchildren, Jon (Melissa) Filkowski, Nicole (Brad) Anderson, Valerie Ott and Colleen (Hans) Robinson-Klug; five great-grandchildren; one sister, Ann (Millard) Aagenes, Laurel, Mont.; one brother, Matt (Doris) Gyolai, Thomaston, Conn.; two sisters-in-law, Betty Gyolai, Wyndotte, Mich., and Bernice Gyolai, New England; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, William on May 4, 1973; her parents; two daughters, Mary Koller and Dorothy Filkowski; four sisters; and three brothers.