Kathryn Willey

Kathryn Willey, 79, died Nov. 27, 2012, four days short of her 80th birthday.

A memorial service is at 1 p.m., Dec. 4 at Valley Funeral Home, 151 E. Herning Ave., Wasilla. Kathryn will be buried at Wasilla Aurora Cemetery. Bishop Jerry Holbrook will officiate.

Elder Don Neeley and Elder Wolfley taught Kathryn the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She gained a testimony and was baptized by Ben Owens Dec. 14, 1988.

In 1992, Kathryn was called to serve on a proselytizing mission in Utah for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, lacking a car for transportation, she was reassigned to a genealogy mission at the Harold B. Lee Library in Provo, Utah. She had a strong and lasting interest in family history and temple work.

While living in California, she took courses in cabinet making, lapidary work, sewing and tailoring. In Alaska, she attended Mat-Su College to learn weaving, dyeing and how to use a spinning wheel. At college, she took a writing course, English 101, enrolled in classes on computers and building cabins.

She was devoted to her family all her life and enjoyed being “Grandma” to her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Surviving are her sisters, Barbara and Doris of Gig Harbor, Wash.; son, Daryl Waggle; grandchildren, Crystal and Jennifer Waggle of Stockton, Calif., Robert Adair, Mike Valdez and Karole Bales of Alaska, and Margaret Valdez and Christina Villegas of San Diego, Calif.; 14 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Preceding her in death were her parents; sons, John Waggle and Lyle Waggle, twins, Edwardine and Edward Waggle; and daughter, Karen Hay, who died in the Valley in 2001.

Arrangements were by Valley Funeral Home. Visit her obituary and guestbook online at alaskanfuneral.com.