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Kathryn Ann Stolee Jamieson (née Haugen) was born on July 5th, 1933 in Pouce Coupe, northern British Columbia to mother Clara (née Olson) and father Arnold Haugen. Her first two years were spent in a cabin in the woods in North Rolla after which the family moved to Dawson Creek where Kathryn was joined by sister Marie and then a baby brother, Steinar.

In 1939, Arnold, a Lutheran pastor, was called to serve in Torquay, SK and then to Outlook, SK where Kathryn would eventually finish high school at the Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute (then SLBI). By now the family had greatly expanded, making Kathryn (or “Kay” as she was often called) the eldest of eight children, her parents having added along the way Dorcas, Ruth, Kenneth, Lois, and Philip. At 19, she noted in a short autobiography that what was most important to her was her love of creativity and her sense of freedom.

After graduation in 1952, she then attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota until 1956 after which she moved back to Saskatchewan and spent a year working for Trans-Canada Air Lines (now known as Air Canada) in Saskatoon. Her next job was in the control room at the television station CFQC–TV. Kathryn not only worked in the booth, they began training her to work in front of the camera to do live commercials which she did for Pepsi, Tide, and other products. CFQC–TV was also where she met the new Assistant Ad Promotion Manager, Geoffrey Jamieson, whom she married in August of 1958. The couple remained at CFQC until Geoffrey entered medical school at the U of S with the intention of re-enlisting in the Canadian Military. Kathryn returned to Trans-Canada Air and worked there from 1961 to 1966 while her new husband finished his degree. Her job allowed for some nice travel perks which Kathryn took advantage of every chance she could. 

Their first posting with the Armed Forces was to Germany in 1967, the first of a long succession of moves. The couple returned back to Canada in 1970 with two small daughters, Gillian and Kimberly, and were then transferred to Nanaimo, BC; Oromocto, NB; San Antonio, Texas; Ottawa, ONT; London, ENG; Petawawa, ONT; and Manotick, ONT. Geoffrey retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1981 and the family settled permanently in Calgary, close to Kathryn’s extended family. 

In the 1980s, Kathryn completed classes in hotel management and worked at Deer Lodge, Lake Louise. She helped her husband run his personal art business. She taught sewing lessons to children, made wedding dresses, was a painter and excelled at Norwegian Rosemaling. Her pride and joy was her flower garden which she spent years cultivating and enjoying. She was also particularly proud of her Norwegian heritage and all things Scandinavian. Kathryn volunteered at the Scandinavian Centre, spent years working as a cook for their traditional banquets, sang in the Scandinavian Choir, and never stopped trying to learn Norwegian. She continued to travel, both with her husband and after he passed away in 2017. One of Kathryn’s trips of note was a solo trip to Norway where she decided to sleep overnight with her suitcase on a park bench in London, England while waiting for a train that was due the next morning. She was 86.

Wanting to stay active, Kathryn decided to have her second knee replacement at the age of 91. She lived a life of service by working for the displaced, the unhoused, for food and clothing charities, lunch programs, and church programs and up until her knee surgery was still driving Meals on Wheels around Calgary to senior citizens. She was determined to keep giving, keep learning, was cognitively as sharp as a tack, devoted to her girlfriends of 40 years, to her family, and to each of her seven grandchildren as well as to her newborn great-grandson. She continued to travel occasionally—alone—and had just completed her passport renewal the month before she passed away. For Kathryn, life was for living and she guarded her independence as fiercely in her last months as she did at 19. At 92, she was still attending Senior’s yoga classes, climbing trees and pruning branches. She had learned how to use a computer, do her banking online, use an IPad and how to text and send pictures on her phone. Kathryn was all about learning and keeping up to date. She never viewed herself as being old—instead she was simply “young for a lot longer than most people”.

Kathryn goes ahead of her two daughters: Gillian (spouse Shawn) and Kim (spouse Jeff), grandchildren Lauren (spouse Curtis), Jamieson (spouse Danielle), Bryn (spouse Chad), Jakub (fiancée Rachel), Taeryn (fiancée Jadon), Karson, and Georgia; and her great-grandson Van Kunz. Kathryn was predeceased by her parents Arnold and Clara; her husband of 59 years, Dr. Geoffrey Jamieson; and her siblings Dorcas, Marie and Steinar.

Her faith was in the Lord and her memorial service will be held at Hope Lutheran Church in Calgary on October 4, 2025 at 1:00 pm. Live-streaming of the memorial service will be available for those unable to attend in person  https://www.hopelutheran.ca.

Donations can be made to The Mustard Seed (theseed.ca) in memory of Kathryn to uphold her desire that all people be seen and cared for.