Kathryn Pearl (Predmore) Pollard, 82, of Ord formerly of Kearney passed away on Wednesday, June 19, 2024; at her new home in Ord.
Kathryn’s wishes were to be cremated. In her honor the family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, 2024; at the Taylor Event Center in Taylor, Nebraska. Reflection of Memories will be held at 4:00 p.m. Kathryn will be laid to rest in the Moulton Cemetery following a private family service. Memorials are suggested to the Taylor VFW Auxiliary Post #6150 or OldFriendsEquine.org, (a racehorse retirement home in Kentucky). Condolences may be left at www.ordmemorialchapel.com
Kathy was born on October 29th, 1941, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Delpha (Nelson) and Johnnie Predmore. Kathy was the third child in the line of ten children of a poor, but proud, hardworking Dane – Irish family, who were descendants of the first pioneers to settle in Loup County, Nebraska.
Kathy’s life, as a child, was hard and she started working at the age of eight along with her younger brother, Johnnie, selling the daily news on the streets of Alliance, Nebraska, to earn extra money for the family. At that time, girls were not allowed to sell papers, so Kathy dressed in her brother’s clothes, tucked her pigtails under a cap and assumed the name of Jimmie.
In 1953, her family moved back to the Loup County area, and she graduated from Loup County High School in 1961. During her time in high school, she was involved in numerous school activities, including cheerleading, being a majorette, and drama. She worked in her mother’s café and loved helping care for her younger siblings.
Soon after graduation, Kathy married a rancher, Raymond Pollard, and spent 14 years training horses, driving cattle, calving out cows, and mending fences along with raising her 5 children. In 1976, Raymond and Kathy divorced and she took her little family and they embarked upon a new beginning. Kathy found work, which included working with her mother in The Hole in the Wall Café in Taylor and eventually opened her own café, so she could spend time with her children and have them close.
In 1984 and 1985, Kathy was selected to be the town marshal. This proved to be a rather exciting and challenging position. Kathy spent the next three years managing a café and becoming the foster mother for nine other children. In the fall of 1988, she became the head cook at Loup County Public Schools and in the summers of 1989 and 1990, Kathy attended the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and attained her Nutrition Science Certification. During those summers, as part of the program, she was put to task to feed the Nebraska Husker Football team and recalled those summers fondly.
In 1991, she sold her home and moved to Norfolk to attend college at Northeast Community College, pursuing a dream that she had carried in her heart for thirty years. She graduated in 1993 with a degree in Computer Science. She spent many years in Norfolk, working as a house manager for Independent Living, a home for challenged adults and at the Norfolk Regional Center as a Psych Tech.
In 2007, she moved to Kearney, Nebraska to be closer to family. During her time in Kearney, she worked part-time at the Bearcat Diner at Kearney High School and in the summers, she and her sister, Rosie, had a stand at the Farmer’s Market called The Harvest Sisters. Kathy would make over a dozen pies twice a week and Rosie baked cinnamon rolls and other baked goods.
Kathy was very artistic; writing poems, drawing, and painting. She was a fantastic cook and could make something out of almost nothing. She learned a love of crocheting from her mother and made many blankets that she gave as gifts. Kathy had the gift of gab and was a wonderful storyteller; however, no promises that they would be G-rated. She was an avid reader, a competitive card player, and enjoyed playing games of all kinds. She loved music and attended many concerts with her daughters and sister, Rosie, to include Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, and Chris Stapleton.
Some of her biggest joys in life include: following her son, Shane’s jockey career and attending many of his races all over the country and her many trips to Kentucky to stay with her daughter, Shirley, at her horse farm. She had a love for horses and attended the Kentucky Derby many times, meeting some of the finest thoroughbreds, including American Pharaoh, Justify, and Smarty Jones. Kathy loved all things Irish and in 2019 went to Ireland with her daughters and granddaughters traveling from Shannon to Dublin. Highlights from the trip include climbing to the top of Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney Stone and visiting Coolmore Stud (home of 2 Triple Crown winners, Justify and American Pharoah) in Tipperary, Ireland. She was a huge fan of Husker Volleyball and Football, traveling to Kentucky with her sister, Rosie, her friend, Kathy Propes, and daughters, Eileen and Shirley to watch the Huskers play in the final four tournament.
Most of all, Kathy loved her family and treasured her time with them. She enjoyed the trips for family reunions each summer and her trips to Michigan and Minnesota for her brothers’ surprise birthday parties. She enjoyed being a Grandmother and was adored by each of her grandkids. She took them on camping trips, fishing, helped them make 4-H quilts, and kept them in stitches with her stories and sense of humor. She was their biggest fan, even attending her grandson’s music gigs.
Survivors five children, Shannon Adams-Webber (John Weiner) of Scotia, NE, Shirley Pollard (Thad Fitch) of Hermosa, SD, Eileen King (Scott King) of Kearney, NE, Shane Pollard of Valentine, NE, and Casey Weber (Jim Weber) of Burwell, NE; 7 grandchildren, Sophia (Sierks) Held, Brady Sierks, Zann King, Jennifer King-Simmons, Fletcher Pollard, James Weber, and Ashton Weber; 16 great grandchildren and soon to be 17; foster daughter, Laura Hendricks of Broken Bow, NE; siblings, Rosalee Goos of Kearney, NE, Joe Predmore (Paula) of Cass Lake, MN, Glenda Ferguson (Marlan) of Casper, WY, Jay Predmore (Marlene) of Sault Ste. Marie, MI, Landra Ferguson (Elvin) of Bone Steel, SD, Sandra Baltazor (Kenny) of Taylor, NE, and Sherry Predmore of Axtell, NE; a host of nieces and nephews, and many special lifelong friends; to include Kathy Propes and Irvin and Joyce Fletcher.
She was preceded in death by her son, Timothy Sean Pollard; her parents, Johnnie and Delpha (Nelson) Predmore; her brother, Johnnie Lee Predmore; an infant sister; brother-in-law, Larry Goos; and nephews, Johnnie Wayne Predmore, Troy Goos, and Larry Vaughn Goos.
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