Til we meet again, Sister Katherine Warner

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend Katherine Warner stepped into eternity on January 20, 2021 after a courageous battle against COVID-19 despite valiant efforts by ICU staff at St. George Regional Medical Center.  She was diagnosed with this destructive and novel virus on January 6, when she suddenly began experiencing shortness of breath and was immediately isolated from family, suffering alone as has become common with this disease.

Katherine Naomi Heil was born in Shimodokaido, Japan, where she enjoyed the first ten years of her life before moving with her family to the United States. In California she worked hard to learn to speak without her heavy Japanese accent, but her Japanese culture remained part of her identity for her entire lifetime, particularly the food.  

 

Her family moved many times during her early years and moving continued as the pattern after her marriage to Claude Warner until he finished medical school and residency after which the family settled into life in St. George, UT in 1994.

 

Among her many talents, Katherine - named after her Japanese and American grandmothers – was known by family and friends as “a skilled violinist and an accomplished guitarist.”  She was also an amazing seamstress, creating beautiful clothing for herself, her family and frequently lent her skills as well to local theater and dance companies.

 

Katherine joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1980 and became a devoted member who served faithfully in many callings.  She and Claude were sealed forever in the Salt Lake Temple and in February would have celebrated their 40^thanniversary.

 

Katherine was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother despite health issues. For the last two decades of her life, she was plagued by excruciating back pain, not resolved by multiple surgeries and migraines which “stole her from us for days, even weeks, at a time, and also resulted in social isolation from neighbors, friends and even some family."  In the last few years, however, these challenges had begun to ease, giving her and her family the hope of a better future.

 

Katherine is survived by her husband; her children Douglas Parker, Brandon Parker, Emma Warner Abegg, Zachary Warner and Megan Warner (Bryce); a sister Deborah Heil and 14 precious grandchildren.  She is preceded in death by her youngest son Danial Warner.

 

Katherine is interred in the Fillmore City Cemetery in Fillmore, UT. 

 

The live streaming webcast of funeral services can be found at https://manzanita.southgatestake.com.