Kathryn Ann Roberts

Kathryn Ann Roberts passed away on Tuesday, May 29 at the age of 60.   A Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at St. Louis Catholic Church in Foreston, MN.  The funeral will be at 11 a.m. with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m.  

Kate was born to Harry & Ramona (Kelly) Roberts on Nov. 4, 1957 at the St. Cloud hospital.  She had complications at birth and was slow to develop.  At five years old, Kate started having seizures and was diagnosed as handicapped. Her family was told she would grow to have the abilities of a 6 or 7-year-old.  She was physically normal. 

Kate was a happy child, loving music, musicals, riding bike, swinging and playing with cats, her favorite animal.    

Classes for the handicapped were rare.  Over the years, her parents were able to get programs for her and other handicapped children started.  Kate lived at home until she was 23, during that time she attended a school for Handicapped Children in Rock Valley, Iowa for two years and was home in the summers.  There was a wonderful foster care family in Rock Valley that took her into their home.   After the school in Iowa, Kate went to a school at Quamba, MN until she was 21 and graduated.  From that time on, Kate went to the Mille Lacs County Development Achievement Center. 

When she was 23 she moved from home to the Stepping Stones Group Home in Milaca.  Kate was at the DAC and Milaca Group Home until the later part of 2017 when serious health problems made it necessary for several hospital stays. In April of this year she moved into REM Fernwood, a group home in St. Cloud until her death.

Kate is survived by her mother, Ramona and step-father, Harold Zoeller;  siblings: Harry (Debbie) of Red Wing, Steve (Karen) of Ogilvie, Mike (Pam) of Watertown, SD, Mary Jo (Dan) Moscho of Milaca, Laurie (Allen) Moss of North Branch and Dale (Barb) of Foley, as well as, many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends. 

She was preceded in death by her paternal and maternal grandparents and her father, Harry J. Roberts, whom passed in 1999.  Her dad was very special to her and she missed him greatly. 

Kate was an inspiration to our family as now we have several grandchildren working with Special Needs People.  Our family was very blessed by all the wonderful caregivers at Stepping Stones, Sheltering Stones, Volunteers of America, REM Fernwood, Mille Lacs County DAC, Mille Lacs County Social Services, Doctors, Nurses and Hospice through CentraCare.