- Date Of Birth: October 21, 1916
- Date Of Death: May 29, 2016
- State: Idaho
Kitty Sullivan, 99, of Caldwell, Idaho, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 29, at a care facility in Middleton of natural causes.
Kitty was born on October 21, 1916 in Wibaux, Montana. Another name has been subtracted from the list of early day pioneer homesteaders with the loss of Kitty, the third of six children born to John and Susan Lukianchuck that migrated during the homestead era from Austria and the Ukraine. She left Montana at the age of 17, traveling to Los Angeles and began employment in a Catholic hospital. Her training by Catholic nuns provided her a strong work ethic and a passion for health care, spanning a 50-year career in the nursing field. She would continue employment as a nurse until the beginning of WWII. At this point, she left nursing and worked at a military air base on the flight line. During this time, she met Warren “Slim” Sullivan, who was a pilot in the Army Air Corp. They married in 1945 and moved to Harlowton, Montana, where her husband started a crop dusting and flight school while resuming her career in nursing at the local hospital. Kitty had a son, Lloyd by a previous marriage, and together Slim and Kitty had two children, Marlene and Robert. In 1960, the Sullivan family moved to Caldwell, Idaho, where Slim continued his career as a pilot and Kitty worked at the medical clinic as a nurse for Dr. Robert Jensen until her retirement.
Kitty had a beautiful, outgoing personality, a bit of a prankster with a quick wit. Her laugh was infectious and often she was the “entertainer” in a crowd. She had a strong will and cared deeply for those she loved. She faced all of life’s trials with courage and strength. She instilled in us the qualities of positive thinking and faith in one’s dream. With little education herself, she valued the importance of higher education and provided financial assistance for family to achieve that success. She would extend the same offer of support to others seriously seeking further education.
The family would like to thank all the special care givers that provided kind, loving support during her illness at Autumn Wind, Life Care Therapy, Cottages of Middleton, Heart and Home Hospice, and night-sitter, Whitney.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, sisters, and her husband. She is survived by her daughter, Marlene (Bill) Wentz, son Robert (Maha) Sullivan, and son, Lloyd Turner. Her family includes five grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, two great-great- grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
We say goodbye to our dear Kitty, but in body only; her spirit will always live in each of us for the rest of our lives. May you rest in peace always and forever.
