Kathy Lundeen

[Frank Johnson]

Kathryn Ellen Lundeen -Aug 14, 1946 – June 21, 2020

On Sunday, June 21,2020, Kathryn Ellen Lundeen passed away after a battle with an aggressive, non-specific cancer.

She was 73. To those who knew her, she was a great artist, musician, and humanitarian.

She is survived by her son, Mark, and three grandchildren, Isaac, Isis, and Lucien.

Kathy Lundeen was a graduate of Galesburg High School, Class of 1964

Funeral services will be held privately for friends and family.

[Frank Johnson]

From Janice Humphrey now Jan Rigg

I am fortunate to have a great childhood memories of my friend, Kathy Lundeen. For a brief few years, we were inseparable. We shared a love of music and the adventures of youth. However, I was to move away before high school. But even in my departing and our sad farewells, we agreed to meet 10 years later on the same date at the doughnut shop we loved. Although we had not seen each other for 10 years or communicated, we both showed up. It was then I was to learn we both loved theater and had the leads in our respective high school plays and continued our love of music. Unfortunately, with busy lives and families, we did not communicate again for many years. Thanks to Frank Johnson, I was able to connect again with Kathy in 2014. I was sad to learn she was ill and no longer able to do what she loved, she was kind and thoughtful as we exchanged many fond memories. She asked that I not share her situation with friends in Galesburg, so I respected her wishes. After a few years, she just stopped communicating or answering my calls and messages. She was in Pennsylvania and I am in Florida, so not close enough to visit. I will always remember her great talent, love of adventure, and thankful for her unbelievable gift of friendship.

Jan Humphrey Rigg

Picture Kathy sent me: This was an entertainer she worked with while singing in a club in Chicago.

[Lennie Karpola]

Kathy and I attended church together and spent a lot of time together during high school and even when we both moved to Chicago. But then we had children and did not see each other often. When she moved to PA we lost contact with each other for many years. When we started to communicate again she had changed a lot and did not want to be in contact with anyone from Galesburg. We spent so must time together in school and had lots of fun. She was a wonderful friend back then and I will always remember her with love.

[Ron Johnson]

I was in the GHS Class of 63. Kathy and I were 2nd cousins, but we didn't know that until we were in high school. Mr. Hegg would normally accompany the Boy's Octet during our singing events to many local groups, clubs, and organizations. During that school year, 1962-1963, we sang close to 100 times, and Mr. Hegg, about mid-year, had Kathy accompany us on the piano because we had so many opportunities to perform. One event that really stands out in my memory was the evening that we sang for an adult group at Lake Bracken Country Club. It was a weekend evening, and we arrived around 7:00PM to sing, and we soon discovered Kathy had forgotten her music. To demonstrate Kathy's talent, as a junior in high school… we had six numbers we performed that evening, and she was able to play each one solely from memory without music. One number she pitched a little too high for us, so we simply asked her to pitch the song a step or two lower, and she had the ability to do that without any problems or errors. She was a fun & talented young lady and was very humble about her abilities and talents.