Our mother, Kathleen Andersen was born November 12, 1943, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Harmon and Nadeene Andersen, the best of parents. She spent her childhood and her Saturdays with her sisters. She was forever close to them.
From a young age, Kathleen was an amazing acrobat and dancer. She graduated from Olympus High School, was proficient at shorthand and numbers, and was always ready to help a grandchild learn how to count out change. Kathleen worked for thirty years at the Moran Eye Center as an accountant, never missing a day and quietly doing more than was expected. She was never late.
When she was nineteen, Kathleen met Thomas Gavin Walster on a blind date. Tom was a pilot in the Navy, and they were married within six months in the Salt Lake Temple after she received her engagement ring in the mail. Kathleen and Tom spent two years together before he was killed in the Vietnam War. She has been waiting ever since for their reunion, and on the day of her death several fighter jets flew over her home.
Kathleen was the mother of five children, the grandmother of twenty grandchildren, and the great-grandmother of one great-grandchild, all of whom she cared for in ways both big and small. Grandma always got you where you were going twenty minutes early and made sure your hair was brushed and you had something to eat. She spent her Sundays checking in with children and grandchildren, and she always made sure you were having good weather.
Kathleen took great pride in having her house just-so. Whether you had to move a piece of furniture, find the right nail for a picture, the right pillow for the season, or move a knick-knack left or right, she knew exactly how it should look. She loved her roses, and she loved to water and mow. In her retirement years, Kathleen served faithfully as an ordinance worker in the Draper Temple and made a habit of studying her scriptures and writing in her journal. She compiled many family histories.
Kathleen is survived by her children T. Michael Walster (Holly), Libbianne Nelson (Wayne), Emily Poffenberger (Duane), Joseph Greatorex (Lezlee), and Jamie Wood (Justin), her loving grandchildren, and her three sisters, Penny, Becky, and Cindy (fondly known as the Hens). Our Mother endured through a lifetime of difficulty and did so with quiet courage and strength. As she liked to say, she tried.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 12th at 11:00 a.m. at the Eastdell Building: 9808 South Eastdell Drive Sandy, Utah 84092. A family prayer will be held prior at 10:30 a.m. The service will be livestreamed via Zoom and can be accessed by clicking the "Watch Services" button above.
Guestbook/Condolences
Those Andersen women are part of many of my childhood memories. Always appreciated the closeness of that family. I am sorry for your loss. Imagine she has had a pretty sweet reunion with her husband , Harmie and Nadine!
Hello —
My name is Carrie George, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my family with something we believe your family would want to know.
My father, Harry Spencer George, passed away in June 2024. He and Lt. Thomas Gavin Walster were close friends, and Tom remained very important to my father throughout his life.
Among my father’s personal papers, we found newspaper clippings from Tom's passing, a handwritten note from your mother to my dad noting their friendship, and other mentions of Tom. Growing up, I remember my father sharing his grief over Tom’s loss and seeing him find his name at the Vietnam memorial.
While preparing my father’s funeral service, our family — together with my mother — chose to formally list Tom as a posthumous pallbearer, alongside another deceased close friend. Tom is named directly in the printed program under Posthumous Pallbearers — a deliberate honor reflecting the enduring bond between them.
We wanted you to know this and unfortunately were not able to find your mother's information last summer to let her know directly. We would be honored to share copies or photographs of the program and the clippings if you’d like. There is absolutely no expectation of response; we simply felt it was important for Tom’s family to know how deeply he was remembered and respected.
With sincere respect,
Carrie George
Daughter of Harry Spencer George