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In memory of

Kathleen Anne Shelton

Bellevue, WA, USA

August 28, 1941 - September 7, 2020

Aug 28, 1941 - Sep 7, 2020

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Kathleen Anne Shelton (nee Reisner) passed away 9/7/20 (fittingly on Labor Day) at age 79 after a lengthy affliction of Alzheimer’s Disease. Born in Portland August 28, 1941 to Robert T. Mercer and Marian “Binnie” Dukes, her family relocated in 1955 to the South Sound, and Kathleen graduated from Olympia High School in 1959. She attended WSU for a year before meeting Galen Schmidtke, getting married and having two sons. In 1966, the young family moved to Carmichael, California, then in 1967 to Orange, California and in 1972 to Boise, Idaho, where Kathleen returned to school and earned her BA in English Literature in 1973 at Boise State. They moved back to Orange in 1974, where Kathleen was fortunate to live close to her dear mother, Aunt "Bobbie" and Uncle Dick Dodge. She studied for a Masters degree at UC Irvine while working for the IRS. The family returned to Olympia in 1977, and Kathleen took a job with the Thurston County Assessor’s office as a property appraiser. She was very well liked, which led to her co-workers asking her to be their union representative. Kathleen enjoyed this role so much, and the ability it afforded to help people, that she became a full-time business agent for all of Southwest Washington for AFSCME, a job she loved. Unfortunately, back issues forced her into retirement in 2000. Over the years, she helped countless people and proudly carried the union banner.
After divorcing in 1985, she soon met and married Wayne G. Shelton, who was her loving and loyal husband for a quarter-century until his death in 2010. They lived in Vancouver, Olympia and Rochester before finally settling in Chehalis. Upon Wayne’s passing, Kathleen moved to Aegis assisted living in downtown Bellevue, which was her home until she died. Her loving son Kurt, and beloved brother and sister-in-law John and Mary Ann Mercer lived close by and visited her frequently. She was always happy and smiling while at Aegis, and enjoyed ‘tending’ the gardens there.
Kathleen (ironically) had a prodigious memory, and always enjoyed trivia games. This led her to become a contestant on the “Split Second” TV game show in Hollywood in 1974; and she won the game! She was known for her great sense of humor, sharp wit, keen incisive mind and gift with the English language, and her love of music and gardening. Despite being a working Mom, she took a strong hand in the raising of her boys and gave them needed support and direction. She and Wayne were also leaders and fixtures in the Centralia/Chehalis Elks’ Lodge for many years. They loved people and always helped whomever needed it.
Kathleen is survived by her two sons; Eric, his wife Erika Frantz and grandchildren Tara and Gavin Schmidtke, of Houston, Texas, and Kurt, his wife Carla, and grandchildren Daycen and Danica of Redmond, her brother and sister-in-law John and Mary Ann Mercer, nephew Scott Mercer and niece Karen English, her two stepsons Doug and Brian Shelton and her step-grandson Kenneth Shelton of Salem, OR.
The family request that donations to honor Kathleen’s memory be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation. Due to COVID-19, no service is planned at this time.

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In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to Arbor Day Foundation.

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