Kathy was born October 4, 1955, in McCook, NE, to Eldon and Marilyn (Doyle) Moore of Bartley, NE. She was the oldest of four children born to this union. At the age of eight, her mother passed away unexpectedly from Guillain-Barre' Syndrome, leaving a young family without a mother. The family lived with Eldon’s mother and father. On July 26, 1964, Eldon married Delores (Horky) Kulwicki, a young mother who herself had four children under the age of ten. Eldon adopted the children and together, they raised their family of seven, on the farm north of Bartley.
Kathy loved farm life. She loved spending time with her grandparents Bill and Eula Doyle and Earl and Doris Moore. She often spoke of their adventures as kids and had many stories to share of their mischief. She enjoyed going for drives to the farmstead and country, even present day, and recalling the good times they had. In January, she retired and enjoyed a few cattle sales with her Dad just weeks before her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on April 28, 2021.
As a young girl, Kathy was active in choir, pep club and sports. She was active in the Bartley Christian Church where she was baptized as a teenager. After graduation from Bartley High School in 1973, Kathy worked as a CNA in Kearney, NE. She later attended McCook Community College where she received a degree in secretarial science. She married Doug Newcomb at Bartley Christian Church on August 18, 1973. They welcomed three children, twins Kari and Kayla, and later a son, Kyle. She stayed home raising the “twins”, until they were in school. At that time, she started working for Stratton Insurance Agency (now MNB Insurance) where she worked for the next 32 years, until her retirement in January, 2021. She loved visiting with the farmers and it kept her close to her love of the farm life.
On December 31, 2004, Kathy married Christopher Reid at the United Methodist Church in Stratton. They enjoyed 16 years of marriage. They treasured their trip to Hawaii and planned to travel more after her retirement. In 2016, Kathy, Kari and Kayla traveled to Switzerland to visit their foreign exchange student, Gisela, which lived with them for a year in 1994. Gisela was like another daughter to Kathy. Chris was an avid supporter of her love of horses and farm life, as they enjoyed caring for their farm south of Stratton. They enjoyed time spent with kids and grandkids at the house, watching them ride, play in the dirt, eat Grandma’s delicious meals, and swim in the hot tub.
Kathy was very active in the community of Stratton, where she lived her entire adult life. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, UMW, the church choir, community choirs, Tops Club, the election board, Lions Club and numerous other school and community events over the years. She was an amazing cook and host, which she learned from her mother, Delores, cooking for their family of nine. She was happiest hosting family gatherings, whether it be a Sunday fried chicken meal after church or holidays. She passed this love of cooking and hosting to all three of her children. She was an amazing gardener, growing produce of all kinds and canning it over the years. She was looking forward to retirement and enjoying leisurely gardening, attending her grandchildren's activities, and traveling with her husband,
Chris. We are at peace knowing she is with her Lord and Savior.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Marilyn Moore; infant brother, Mark; and nephew, Brady Koch.
Those left behind to cherish her memory are her husband, Chris Reid of Stratton; her parents, Eldon and Delores Moore of Bartley; children, Kari Vacek and husband, Tim, of Lincoln and their children Patricia, Theodore, Molly, and Luke; Kayla Smalley and husband, Scott, of McCook and their children Hailey and Hayden; Kyle Newcomb and his wife, Hayley, of Stratton; step-children Kirsten Reid and Michael Reid;
siblings, Jeanne Brown and husband, Frank, of Bartley, Don Moore and wife, Vonnie, of McCook, Bill Moore and wife, Trisha, of Bartley, Carol Chalupa and husband, Bob, of McCook, Carla Malleck and husband, Brian, of Indianola, Mike Moore and wife, Brenda, of Lexington; numerous nieces and nephews as well as many beloved friends and her special aunt, Margaret (Doyle) Messersmith, of Bartley.