The journey of 102 years came to a peaceful finale on December 3, 2022. In her own words, "..and there she went, answering a call she couldn't refuse for first class travel to her final destination."

Kathrine Elizabeth Towner was born on August 29, 1920 in Lincoln, Nebraska, the oldest child of Fred and Lillian Towner, her sister Margaret joined the family in 1922. The family, grandparents, aunts and uncles, all moved to Washington State in 1925, some settled in Seattle, others in Auburn. A sister Winifred arrived in 1926 and later they were joined by brother Mac in 1932.

Kathrine graduated from Auburn High School in 1937, did a year of post high school study at Lincoln High School in Seattle and then attended the University of Washington. After a year at the UW, finances forced her to begin her working career.

In April of 1942, she married Bill Hansen, an Auburn native who she had known forever through their large circle of friends. Shortly after their wedding, Bill received his draft orders and they were off to Denver, Colorado while he trained and then to Medford, Oregon. With Bill's orders to New Guinea and the Philippines, Kathrine moved back to Auburn while he was away for 2 years and worked for the Air Force. She always told about getting promoted to a new position and not getting the same pay as the previous individual because "he was a man", a life-long irritation.

When Bill returned from SE Asia in 1946, they moved to the San Francisco Bay area, purchasing a home and a small grocery store. Daughter Margaret was born in Palo Alto and Tina in Redwood City.

In 1955, they returned to the Northwest, purchasing a grocery store in Leavenworth, Washington. They were very involved in the Leavenworth community through the Chamber of Commerce and Camp Fire, where Bill was on the board of Directors and Kathrine was a Bluebird/Camp Fire leader and an early promoter for the tourism potential of the area. They moved back to Auburn in 1960, when they sold the store to former Auburn grocer, Roy Dahlgren.

In 1961, Bill accepted a position with the Navy to manage the Navy Exchange on the island of Bermuda, and the family packed up and moved again. The slow pace, semi-tropical climate, and beautiful beaches immediately endeared them to their new home. Their stay was short lived due to Tina's health issues relating to the climate and they returned to Auburn in July of 1962.

Kathrine worked at Nicholson Manufacturing and then for 14 years at Rohr Industries. Retiring from Rohr in 1977, she decided retirement wasn't for her and started working at Love Travel, the agency she and Bill purchased from Perry B. Love in 1965. Daughter Margaret had joined the firm in May 1971, so this became a true family business. Kathrine and Bill traveled frequently seeing as much of the world as possible. For her 80th birthday she chartered a barge in France, taking a group of family and clients, and thus began a 19-year odyssey of Love Travel group trips. She retired in 2017 when Love Travel became a home-based agency, and the agency retired in 2022.

Kathrine gave her time to the community though St. Matthew Episcopal Church, where she was the first woman elected to the Bishop's Committee, promoting the Friend to Friend program which advocates for those living in nursing communities with no advocate of their own, tenure on the White River Valley Museum board, the Downtown Auburn Association board, received the Chamber Community Service award in 1984 and was on the Hometown Hero committee for the City of Auburn, a committee she strongly believed in.

In 2007 she moved to Wesley Homes Lea Hill and found a wonderful community of new friends. She made another move in 2021 to Renton to be closer to her daughter.

Kathrine was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, and her husband Bill in 1991. She is survived by her daughters Margaret (Frank Rasmussen), and Tina (Scott Simmons), her nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly. She was lovingly welcomed into the Rasmussen family by Frank's children and grandchildren and especially delighted in the great-grandchildren, in person and through the wonders of Instagram!

Donations in memory of Kathrine can be directed to the Auburn Food Bank, the Green River College Foundation, Chapter GN, PEO, the White River Valley Museum or a charity of choice to benefit the Auburn community.

A celebration of Life will be held at a later date in 2023.