Kathryn Kramer

Kathryn Marie Noah Kramer left us on November 7, 2025 at the age of 48 after a fierce and courageous two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Our hearts are breaking.

Kathy was born October 12, 1977 to Larry and Gail (Service) Kramer of Burnsville, Minnesota. She graduated from Burnsville High School and attended University of New Hampshire for one year before transferring to the University of Minnesota where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Recreational Management. Later, she earned a Master’s degree in school counseling at University of Wisconsin, River Falls. Kathy worked in a wide variety of jobs over the years, but her most important and most loved role was as Mom to Lucy, Ruby, Oscar, and Maggie.

Kathy was curious and active and her fun and loving personality was shaped by growing up as the loved daughter and sister of Larry, Gail, Debbie, Steve, and Greg, by summer weeks at Sugar Lake and Camp Omega, by Sunday school and vacation Bible School led by the Ascension Lutheran church Moms, by South Dakota family reunions and holidays spent at Grandma and Grandpa Kramer’s house. As a teen, Kathy joined many youth groups, her favorite being First Light at Prince of Peace Church in Burnsville, MN. She was also a BAC softball star, and played any other sport she could get her parents to let her try. Proudly, she was a member of the first ever varsity girls hockey team of Burnsville High School, and was co-captain of the team her senior year, when the Burnsville Blaze were runners-up in the State tournament.

Kathy’s children were her greatest love. Nothing brought her more joy than snuggling on the couch with them, watching movies, celebrating birthdays and holidays, getting together with the extended family for time at Sugar Lake, hanging out at parks and restaurants in Stillwater, and going on one-on-one dates with each of her kids. Kathy’s van was stocked with snacks, her bags overflowed with pens, planners, and craft items, and the tank was filled with gas–she was always ready for anything. Any time with Lucy, Ruby, Oscar and Maggie was treasured.

Kathy was a People Person and thrived on human connection. She had the ability to make each of her friends feel as though they were her best friend. What a gift it was to be loved by Kathy! We don’t know how she did it, but she made time for all of her special groups. Her school friends, sports friends, church friends, college friends, camp friends, neighborhood friends, mom-group friends, book club friends, choir friends, old friends, new friends–they were all dear to her. Her calendar was full, organized, color-coded and written in Kathy’s special font.

Kathy had a laugh, a smile, and a joke for every situation. She was a light in every room and was a magnet for fun. She shared her love of the Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile, State Fair Food, Bing Crosby, Murder She Wrote, showtunes, the number 33, cereal, Cafe Latte, blankets, school supplies, art, essential oils, coffee, snacks, and her family openly and often. It will be impossible to hear, see, taste, smell or touch any of these things without feeling her presence. When it happens, welcome it. She is stopping by to say hello and tell you she loves you.

In the final weeks of her life, a big group of loving “Team Kathy” volunteers provided 24/7 care at her home for as long as was possible, and then she transferred to The Pillars Hospice Home in Oakdale. The family holds deep gratitude for all of the friends, nurses and aides who provided such compassionate care in Kathy’s last days.

Kathy will be deeply missed. She is survived by her mother, Gail Kramer; by her children Lucy Noah, Ruby Noah, Oscar Noah, and Maggie Noah; by her siblings Deb (Rick) Geiger, Steve (Jess) Kramer and Greg (Sara) Kramer; by many beloved nieces and nephews, and by treasured friends. She was preceded in death by her father Larry Kramer.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Stillwater, MN on November 29 at 11:00 AM with visitation beginning at 10:00 AM and lunch to follow the service.

The family prefers that memorial gifts be given to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Stillwater, MN at https://oslcstillwater.org/donate/ or to The Pillars Hospice Home, Oakdale, MN at https://www.beyondhospicemn.org/donate .