**Elizabeth Trevino, Granddaughter**
I am Elizabeth, her eldest grandkid. Now…..Grandma Kathy was still pretty young when I came into this world and she donned the title of grandma. I am not sure how ready she was for that role, but she definitely stepped into it and created a lot of positive memories as I grew up and was a big part of my childhood. Growing up, I actually spent a lot of time with her parents, Grandpa and Grandma Ruud, but I remember routinely being driven up the very curvy road to Grandpa and Grandma Hinman’s house in Lea Hill. Those drives are memorable for two reasons. First: because that hill is fun to be on in a car as a child; and second: I knew the place I was arriving to was going to be safe and inviting and was yet another place I was lucky enough to feel loved.

Grandma had the ability to make you feel like you were wanted, you were loved, and most important, you were welcomed. Not because she was all love-dovey….although she did give really good hugs that you could feel in your bones.

I remember her being strong….in her feelings, her opinions, her outlook on life. I remember her being direct, she said what she meant, and I don’t remember her softening the edges to make me feel comfortable. But she also had a great big laugh. It was loud and full of joy. She welcomed people in and made them feel included.

So, for the next few minutes, I really just wanted to share some of my memories of Grandma Kathy with you. Some things that will stay in my head and heart forever, that helped define who she was in my eyes.

1. She was a scrabble shark. She did not go easy on you, even when you were a child. Grandma played to win and did not show mercy. There was no perusing the Scrabble Dictionary for ideas if you were stuck. But now, when I win scrabble games…..I always give props to Grandma Hinman. I cannot see a scrabble board to this day and not think of her. How she showed her love by challenging me.

2. Grandma also showed love through words, as I am sure most of you here are aware. Her poetry and natural gift of rhyme was something to behold. When you were gifted a poem from Kathy Hinman, you felt celebrated and seen. I will forever treasure the ones she gifted me.

3. Ok, so looking back through the eyes of a child when I was with her I one of the words I come up with is….Stickers. So Many Stickers. She had the biggest sticker collection ever. And she was beyond generous with her collection. We would spend quite a bit of time together going through and admiring and sorting her stickers. And man, would I get to leave with the coolest ones ever!

4. A final memory that sticks out about Grandma Kathy is that she did crossword puzzles frequently, IN PEN. We would cuddle in the chair and I would “help” her when I could. But there she was, just filling out her answers….. in Pen! Which I still find to this day just bad-ass. She was confident and committed.

So, I really could go on and on about simple memories of Grandma Kathy. But ultimately please just know that she was strong and steady, she was fun and loving and the world and people in her orbit were better for having been in it. I am grateful I got to be her first grandchild, to have spent so much of my time with her that I got to, to be challenged by her and to be loved by her. The world took a lot from her over the years, yet she still found reasons to smile and laugh.
I’m glad she finally gets to rest.

I love you Grandma.

Thanks everyone for listening and walking down memory lane with me.

**Riley Mehl, Granddaughter**
As pretty much anyone who has met my grandma knows: she expressed her love through writing. She likely wrote to or about every person in this room. She even wrote a poem of gratitude to her Schwan’s delivery man for his great work over the years. I am fortunate to have a binder with 21 years of emails, poems, and letters she wrote for me. She stated upon gifting me this binder a few years ago that it is her legacy to me. I imagine her words are exactly that for a lot of people.

She signed cursive notes mailed in polka dot envelopes with “Who loves you baby?”, and printed out photos to be carefully adorned with smiley face stickers and daisies. She crafted rhymes and poured her heart out documenting memories I will cherish forever. I go back and read poems about anything from major milestones to favorite stuffed animals or the time we cried laughing testing each other on State Capitols.

I would love to share an excerpt from one of my favorite poems that summed us up pretty well:

“Oops, I started talking about other stuff besides the phone.
Sometimes I’ll call Julie and Aaron’s house and ask them ‘is Riley at home?’
Then we’ll talk and giggle about this & that — it’s quite the gabfest
Riley cheers me up better than anyone can,
It’s simply the best
Before you know it, Riley will be an adult and then guess what I’ll do?
In the middle of our conversation — SLAM — I’ll hang up! Yes, it’s true!
This is a family tradition started by me and it must be carried through
Another ‘tradition’ will occur when she’s chatting with a friend
I’ll holler “get off the phone” very loudly —
Will this madness ever end?”

My grandma was the first person I emailed when I got my very own email address, the first house I drove to when I got my license. She called me “Riley girl” and is the reason I address many of my girlfriends the same way. She let me raid her sticker collections, feed Roscoe fig newtons, and put up with me making her watch Dumb and Dumber for the third time. I can still hear the slow rhythmic tick of her hallway clock and the soft sounds of Law and Order as I fell asleep at her house.

She was a master teaser and someone you could laugh or gossip with all day long. She would tell you to get lost no sooner than she would urge you to drive safe.

Beyond her wits and charm, my grandma was one of the most resilient people I have ever met. She always remained positive and faithful in moments of loss, sorrow, or change. I suppose I will take a page from her book, this time around.

**Sarah Olson, Daughter-in-Law**
My name is Sarah and I am Kathy’s daughter-in-law. I’m proud to call myself her daughter-in-law, because she meant so much to me and included me like family from the moment I met her.

What most impressed me about Kathy was her resiliency. I knew her for the last 10 years of her life when she faced some of her toughest times: hit and nearly run over by a car, multiple hospitals stays, and most difficult, the loss of her daughter, Julie. She was a self-professed “tough Norwegian broad” and lived up to that name. She was also a woman of great faith, and the truest Christian I have ever met. Despite hardships, she had a positive attitude, and I never once heard her complain about life’s circumstances.

I so enjoyed our visits and the playful way she would tease me. We shared a love of words and puzzles, and I was her personal dealer when it came to bringing her new word searches. Kathy had a way of making you feel like the most important person in the room with her charming smile and devilish wit. She was a proper lady, and I never heard her swear. But there was this one time…Dana and I were going to have Thai food after a visit, and Kathy asked me if I enjoyed Thai food. I told her, “I love it, but I can’t do very spicy. Pepper is hot for me.” She just stared at me and with a deadpan delivery said, “What a puss!” Dana and I busted out laughing, and to hear her laughing with us was a true delight.

I also want to take a minute to acknowledge her beautiful daughter, Dana.

Dana, you are the rock the Hinman family. I write it in present tense because your family is always with us, and we will carry their memories on for the rest of our lives. Your mom was a perfect example of how to live in the present and spread joy, and you are carrying her legacy forward in style.

**Eric Ruud, Nephew**
Aunt Kathy was the last living link to both of my parents - my mom's best friend and my dad's sister - and that alone makes her loss feel immeasurable. Through her, I could still hear their stories and feel a closeness to them that only she could give.

She and I shared a truly quirky sense of humor. Aunt Kathy was the funniest person I knew, and that same spark lived on in her. Whether it was texting her pictures of Elvis whenever I spotted him or chasing down an Otis elevator repair van just to get a picture to send her, I loved making her laugh.

Even though she wasn't the most proficient with her cell phone, she was incredible at keeping in touch. I will deeply miss the letters she would send, always covered in fun stickers, filled with positive encouragement and love.

Kathy was a safe harbor-so easy to talk to, completely without judgment, and always armed with a sarcastic comment and a positive attitude. I will never forget her loud, infectious laugh that could light up a room.

I am so grateful for our last visit, when I got to introduce her to my long-time girlfriend. She loved sharing stories about my grandparents and, even during the difficult times of COVID when we couldn't be together in person, her spirit kept us connected.

Aunt Kathy, thank you for being the bridge to my parents, a loving aunt, and a wonderful friend. Your stories and your light will live on in all of us.