Katy Pearson, 43

Katy Pearson, 43, beloved mother, wife, daughter and sister, left us much too early on July 3, 2010, after a brief illness. Kathleen M. Conn was born May 11, 1967, in Whitefish, the oldest daughter of W. Vance and Judy K. Conn. After graduating from Whitefish High School in 1985, she was a nanny in California for one year before coming back to her beloved Montana. She then attended Mr. Rich s Beauty College in Missoula and started her 23-year career as a hairdresser in the fall of 1987. In 1992, she met the love of her life, Raymond W. Pearson, from Troy; they married on Nov. 20, 1993. Their son, Walter J. Pearson, was born to this loving marriage in November 2001, and joined her at work for the first six months of his life. He is adored by all her clients and many of them would stop by her shop just to say hi to him. Katy was a devoted mother and was an instrumental part of developing Rainbow s End Preschool and Daycare at United Methodist Church in Whitefish, where she was a board member for many years. Katy was a member of the Women of the Moose, Whitefish Chapter No. 597; was a behind-the-scenes volunteer for the Whitefish Winter Carnival; a dedicated parent helper for Walter s class at Muldown Elementary, where every Monday she assisted the children with reading; and on the board of directors of the E.A. Hinderman Memorial Scholarship committee. Katy was preceded in death by her mother, Judy K. Conn; and her grandparents, Walter H. Conn, Jean Conn, Robert Jones and Sylvianne Jones. She is survived by her loving husband, Raymond; son, Walter; her father, W. Vance Conn, and his companion, Gail Litchfield; her sister, Janis Bensch, and husband, Paul, of Jamestown, N.D.; best friend, Debbie Quick; the ladies at The Hair Hut; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, and all her friends from high school. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 9, at the United Methodist Church, 1150 Wisconsin Ave., Whitefish. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Walter J. Pearson Account, c/o Whitefish Credit Union, P.O. Box 37, Whitefish, MT 59937-0037; or Rainbow s End Preschool and Daycare, P.O. Box 4248, Whitefish, MT 59937-4248. Austin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.