Kathleen A. Haight

Kathleen Haight (nee Haberkorn), age 91 of Markesan, peacefully passed from this earthly dwelling May 18, 2019 after a gradual decline with Parkinson’s.

Kathleen was born on the family farm outside Dalton, WI on August 20, 1927.  As a child, she preferred to be outside helping her dad with chores rather than being inside doing housework.  Kathleen graduated from Portage High School in 1945. Two months later, she enrolled in a nurses training program at Columbus Hospital in Chicago that was offered by the federal government during WWII.  She graduated in June 1948 and then worked as a graduate nurse at Columbus Hospital through the end of that year. After passing her nursing boards, she began her career as a registered nurse working at the Portage Hospital starting in January 1949.  

Kathleen met the love of her life in early 1949 and married Andy (Melvin) Haight in the fall of that year. When she got married, she did not know how to cook, but while raising a family of eight children, she learned the art of cooking and baking from her mother and mother-in-law. In addition to her kitchen creations, she learned to sew and do craft work and refinish furniture and woodwork.  Kathleen formally ended her nursing career in 1952 after giving birth to her second child, but she often used her nursing skills while raising a family as well as in service to others in her local community when requested.

Kathleen was welcoming and kind, and people young and old always enjoyed stopping to visit.  Family was the center of her life. Besides keeping busy running the household, she and her husband, Andy, took an annual family vacation renting a cottage in the north woods on an inland lake.  This lake vacation tradition continues today, with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her large family continues to grow.

Kathleen was a member of the Catholic church her entire life.  She was active in the parishes where she lived. Her faith often influenced her travel adventures, both international and in the US, as she enjoyed visiting religious sites with various family members.  

Kathleen is survived by 8 children and their families: Candice (Craig), Cindy (Doug), Stephen, Randy (Joan), Bryan (Becky), Robert, Rich (Carrie), and Tom (Gwen), and 20 grandchildren, and 25 great grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters, Betty Burnett, and Leatrice Manthey; two brothers, Alfred (Kay) Haberkorn and Jerry (Pearl) Haberkorn, and one sister-in-law, Agnes Moore.

Kathleen is preceded in death by: her parents; her spouse, Andy (Melvin) Haight; one sister, Lois Reynolds; one sister-in-law, Katherine Healy; and five brothers-in-law, Lloyd Burnett, Eugene Manthey, Dallas Reynolds, Larry Moore and Ken Healy.

Visitation for Kathleen will be held Tuesday, May 21 from 4 to 7 PM at Grasse Funeral Home in Pardeeville. The Rosary will occur following visitation. Kathleen’s Mass of Christian burial will be held Wednesday, May 22 at 11 AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Kingston with Father Mark Miller presiding.  A reception will follow the service at the church. Interment along with her husband Andy’s inurnment will follow the reception at St. Andrew Cemetery, Buffalo Township. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Kathleen’s memory may be made to the following: Barrett House (185 East John Street in Markesan, WI); Agnesian Hospice (239 Trowbridge Drive, Fond du Lac, WI 54937); Markesan Food Pantry (Jean Daye, 521 South Margaret Street, Markesan, WI 53946).

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