Mary Kathy (Renner) Lane

Mary Kathleen (Kathy) Lane, 89 of Baldwin City, KS passed away peacefully on April 9th, 2024 with her family by her side. 

The visitation and funeral mass will be said Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Annunciation Catholic Church, 740 North 6th Street, Baldwin City, KS. Family will greet friends for a visitation from 9:30 to 10:30 at the church parish hall.  A rosary will be said at 10:30 a.m. and the Funeral Mass that will begin at 11:00 AM.

Kathy was born August 1, 1934 to Fred and Mildred Renner in Cunningham, Kansas. She grew up on a small farm and attended elementary school in both St. Leo and Willowdale, Kansas. Kathy later attended Junior High and High School in Kingman, Kansas where she graduated in 1952. 

From an early age Kathy wanted to be a nurse and so after high school she went on to nursing school in Great Bend, KS. Kathy excelled at nursing school where she was class president all three years and graduated with honors in 1955. After graduation, Kathy worked as a young nurse at Saint Rose Hospital in Great Bend. Her parents had moved to Leoti, Kansas to farm, and so Kathy in 1956 wanting to be closer to her family took a job at the hospital in Leoti. 

Kathy met and married the love of her life, Ross Lane on October 19, 1957 at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Scott City, KS and they were able to raise 4 boys and celebrate 65 years together before Ross passed away on August 29th, 2023. 

Kathy became the school nurse for the Leoti School District in 1965 and continued in that position until the family moved to Baldwin City, KS in 1976. Kathy loved her job as school nurse where she was able to care for so many and where she started the Migrant Care Program to help the most needy in Wichita County. 

The Lane family moved to Baldwin City, KS on Thanksgiving weekend in 1976. Kathy worked as a nurse at the hospital in Ottawa, KS until Baker University hired Kathy in 1977 to be the nurse at the university. She was thrilled and loved being a school nurse again. It was her dream job. Tragically, Kathy was injured in a terrible car accident in the fall of 1978 coming home from her son's football game in Wellsville, KS. 

Kathy was forced to retire after the accident. Her eyesight was permanently damaged and she was left legally blind. She didn't let those obstacles keep her down long. She decided to go back to school, and though it was hard she was able to take one class at a time and used a magnify glass to read. She graduated with a Psychology degree with her youngest son Grant in 1987. It was an amazing day for all of us. 

Kathy treasured her time with her boys. She never missed a ball game and could always be heard in the stands yelling her famous Yahoo. Kathy was a proud member of the Annunciation Catholic Church in Baldwin and served on many committees through the years. She was always willing to help with the Maple Leaf festival booth and do whatever she could to help her fellow parishioners. 

Ross and Kathy were blessed with four sons; Mike (Denise) Lane, grandson Matt, granddaughter Kayley, and great-granddaughters Lucy & Katie; Russ (Annette) grandson Tyler (Jami) Lane and great grandson Carter, great-granddaughters Hannah and Lauren, granddaughter Jessica (Ross) Knutson and great-granddaughter Sloan and great-grandsons Cohen and Landon, granddaughter Samantha (Bo) Tiller and great-granddaughter Rosalie, granddaughter Abigail (Tanner) Hughes and great-granddaughter June and great-grandson Trent; Rob (Nancy) Lane and granddaughters Jordan (Blaise, fiancé) and Teresa; Grant (Lori) Lane and grandsons Jaylen, Jaron, and Joseph and granddaughter Jocelyn (Tom) Mailloux and great-grandson Leo. Kathy is also survived by four Sisters-in-law, Pat Renner, Judy Renner, Dorothy Renner and Nevada Parker. 

Kathy was predeceased by her parents Fred and Mildred Renner and siblings Robert (Pat) Renner, Peggy (Lawrence) Goetz, Marilyn (Keith) Appl, Father Ronald Renner, Ken (Judy) Renner, Judy (James) Biel, Jim (Dorothy) Renner, Dinah Rae Renner and granddaughter Kimber Rose Lane who passed away on January 10, 2021. 

The Lane family would like to thank the many nurses and caregivers who have cared for Mom these last five years, Vintage Park in Baldwin, Rock Creek in Ottawa, Advent Health Hospital in Ottawa and the hospice care at Villa Saint Francis in Olathe, KS. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mother Teresa Charitable Trust sent in care of Lamb-Roberts-Price Funeral Home, P.O. Box 64, Baldwin City, KS, 66006. Online condolences may be sent to the family through www.lamb-roberts.com.

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