Obituary of Kate Else Lovgreen

Longtime Mason County dairy farmer Kate Else (Kraft) Lovgreen, 79, who emigrated to the United States from her native Germany in the 1950s, died Thursday, December 23, of natural causes at her home in Tumwater. She had lived in Thurston County for the last 18 years but retained her Mason County connections at a church there. She was born July 9, 1925 in Schneidermühl, Germany, which is now in Poland, to Gustav and Erna Kraft. She immigrated to the U.S. with three members of her family in 1957. Mrs. Lovgreen returned to her homeland in 1983 on a tour commemorating the 500th birthday of Martin Luther, the German Reformation figure, and was depressed by what she discovered in what was then communist East Germany ~ sad, economically deprived people living in a police state. In a Shelton-Mason County Journal interview about the trip, she explained how she had escaped communism at the end of World War II. She said she was working as a 19-year-old telephone operator in Berlin, part of Nazi Germany, in April 1945 when the Russians began to surround the German capital. World War II was almost over. "When Russians started to encircle the city, I thought I'd better get out," she said. "I never would have done it by myself, but fortunately there were two other girls who had the same desire." She said the Germans did not fear the Americans or English, but feared the Russians, who had killed German farmers and raped German women on their march to Berlin. The three young women, dressed in civilian clothing, took a train out of Berlin to the northwest and were "just lucky" to get out of the capital, Mrs. Lovgreen remembered. After five days of traveling, she reached a town near the Danish border where she could stay with friends, and the war ended a few days later. She was later reunited with her family and lived in what became West Germany until 1957, when she emigrated to the United States with the sponsorship of the Lutheran Church and a Bainbridge Island family. She met and married Leo Lovgreen in 1958 on Bainbridge Island. In 1960 they bought a dairy farm on Hurley Waldrip Road south of Shelton and moved there. They operated the farm until their retirement in 1986, when they moved to Olympia. Mr. Lovgreen died in 1995. At the time of her death, Mrs. Lovgreen was a member of The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Tumwater and was involved in the Piece Corps quilting group there. She was also involved in exercising and yoga classes at the YMCA, senior center activities and volunteering at the Thurston County Food Bank. She was a prior member at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Shelton for more than 30 years and was active in the Lydia Ruth Circle and choir there. She was also a past member of the local Parkinson's support group because her husband suffered from that disease. She loved animals, gardening, nature and arranging flowers. She was known for having a generous heart and always trying to help others, her family said. She is survived by a daughter, Heidi Lyons, and son-in-law, Steve Lyons, of Tumwater and four nephews and a niece. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 5, at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Shelton, 206 East Wyandotte Avenue. The family suggests donations can be made to the charity of the donor's choice. DIRECTIONS TO MOUNT OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH From Hwy 101 going North, take the first Shelton exit, the exit sign will say Shelton Bremerton North. The exit will be to the right. At the end of the off ramp continue to the right; you will now be on Hwy SR3. Continue on Hwy 3 approximately 1 1/2 - 2 miles until you come to the first stop light. At this light you will see the Log Cabin Tavern to the left and the Chevron station to the right. At this first stop light you will turn left which will put you on Arcadia Ave. Follow Arcadia Ave. about 6 blocks to Pioneer Way, and make a right hand turn onto Pioneer Way. (You will see a green Mount Olive Church sign above the Pioneer Way street sign). On Pioneer Way you will go about a short block to "Five Corners". At this intersection you will make a left hand turn onto University Ave. (again at this intersection you will see a green Mount Olive Church sign). Follow University Ave. around 90 degree corner to the right which becomes Second Ave. Follow Second Ave. about four blocks down to bottom of hill to Wyandotte Ave. At Wyandotte Ave. make a right hand turn and street will end at church.