AUBURN, Wash. – Katherine Alan Louise (Kittle) Cross, 66, passed away Aug. 6, 2021 in Auburn, Wash., after a brief struggle with an aggressive cancer. She went peacefully holding her youngest daughter’s hand.

A graveside funeral was held on Aug. 21 at Mountain View Cemetery in Auburn, Wash., followed by a reception at her daughter, Natascha’s residence.

Kate was born March 6, 1955 in Hutchinson, Kan. to Chester Wiley “Bill” and Carolyn Louise (Kunz) Kittle.

Survivors include her children, Michel, Natascha, Rebecca and Vanessa, and their spouses; two sisters, Roxanna and Javida; two brothers, Chet and Toby; two step-sisters, Sheila and Paula; five granddaughters; two grandsons; and one great-granddaughter.

She was preceded in death by her father, Bill, and her mother, Louise.

Kate graduated from Mendota High School with the Class of 1973. In July 1973, she married Michael Wallace. They divorced in 1976. In December 1979, she gave birth to her first child, Natascha. They moved to Washington in 1980. Kate married Kenneth Cross on Sept. 5, 1981, and gained a son, Michel. In September 1982, Kate gave birth to a daughter, Rebecca, followed by another daughter, Vanessa, in October 1984. In 2012, Kate and Ken divorced.

Kate loved to travel all over the country and went on many road trips, visiting all the continental states. She was known for her sweet smile, kind heart and great hugs. She loved fast cars, road trips, lighthouses, the ocean, genealogy and, most of all, her family. Family members joked that her idea of a good time was visiting a lighthouse and a cemetery.