Kathryn's Obituary
Kathryn “Katie” Slater Fjeld peacefully went to the Lord on February 2, 2024, spending her final days on this earth surrounded by the love of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Born on May 9, 1930, in Ashland, Nebraska to William and Sophie Leddy, Kathryn was one of eight children and was raised on the family farm with no electricity or running water. She learned the value of hard work at a young age, learning to butcher chickens at age 13 when her mother had a broken wrist and needed help feeding the family. She also learned to till the fields with her father using a horse and harrow. She fondly recalled hitching horses to a wagon and being pulled to school on special occasions. As she entered adulthood, she and her sister, Margaret, attended college together and received their teaching certifications. Kathryn taught in a small Bohemian community for two years. She met Howard Slater at a dance and the two later married and have five children together. She and Howard left Nebraska and went to live in California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming before settling in Montana. Shortly after their arrival in Montana, Howard died in an auto accident in 1959. Kathryn relied on her Catholic faith to get her and her children through this difficult time. Through church friends, she was introduced to Giff Fjeld and they married in June of 1960. She and her children moved to the Fjeld Homestead on Hwy 200 near Fort Shaw, and Kathryn and Giff brought three more children into the world together.
With eight kids to feed and a farm to tend to, Kathryn was self-taught in many of her endeavors, including becoming an excellent bread baker and recipe master. She was known for her homemade maple bars, rhubarb crisp, and Parker House rolls. Her kids and grandkids always looked forward to holiday gatherings with her freshly made goodies on the table. Outside of the kitchen, she sewed her family’s clothes, drove tractor, irrigated the fields, grew a vegetable garden, did yardwork, reupholstered furniture, tended to cattle, butchered chickens and geese, milked cows, and prioritized teaching all her children about Jesus and being right with God. She was an active member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Fort Shaw for 40 years and became a member of St. Ann’s Cathedral Parish when she moved to Great Falls in 2000. She worked at a nursing home for four years then became the janitor at Simms High School where she worked for 18 years before retiring in 1991.
In her retirement, she embraced the nickname of Katie and maintained a zest for life and learning. She kept a busy social calendar filled with square dancing, yoga, book club, prayer meetings, frequent library visits, aerobics classes, community choir, sewing blankets for charity, and her favorite pastime of quilting. She sewed many quilts for her family and friends over the years and would often receive gifted fabrics that some would consider scraps, but Katie always had a way of making something beautiful out of nothing. Her strength and resilience carried her through many hardships that only a woman of faith could endure. She kept that faith through all 93 years of a life well lived.
Katie is survived by her children, Chris (Nora) Slater of California, Jennifer Crees of Great Falls, MT, Sharlee (Ray) St. Onge of Fort Shaw, MT, Judy (Tim) Larson of Turtle Lake, ND, Frank Slater of Great Falls, MT, Giff (Kay) Fjeld of Hinsdale, MT, Rita Fjeld of Missoula, MT, and Tricia (Willy) Strong of Great Falls, MT; step-son, Carl Slater of Tazewell, TN; sister, Margaret McAndrew of Nebraska; as well as 21 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Howard Slater and Gifford Fjeld; parents, William and Sophie Leddy; brothers, William and Francis Leddy; sisters, Ellen Bredwell, Patricia Nelsen, Marian Botel, and Louise Crawford; daughter-in-law, Mary Slater; son-in-law, Ron Crees; and step-daughter, Joyce Thim.
A celebration of life is being planned for this summer and will be announced at a later date.
