Kathleen Anne Braaten

Kathleen A. Braaten, age 75, of Litchfield died on November 9, 2019, at the Dassel Lakeside Health Care Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, November 14, 2019, at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield. Visitation will be from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Wednesday, November 13th at the Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home in Litchfield with a parish prayer service at 7:45 PM. Visitation will also be one hour prior to the service at the church. Kathleen Anne Braaten, the daughter of Bernard and Mary (Coufal) Kieffer, was born on March 10, 1944, in Olivia. She graduated from Litchfield High School in 1962 and continued her education at St. Cloud Beauty College. On July 13, 1963, she married her high school sweetheart Terry Braaten and they rented an apartment in Hutchinson where she worked as a hair stylist. They purchased a farm near Litchfield in 1964 and in 1972 moved into the new home Terry built. Kathy was very active in her career. She served on the Minnesota Board of Cosmetology and was a part of the National Cosmetology Association. Kathy volunteered for Locks of Love and also doing hair for the high school plays. She was a member of St. Philip Catholic Church and the Red Hat Society. Kathy enjoyed the outdoors through deer hunting, water skiing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and figure skating. She also enjoyed her garden and the flowers she grew. Kathy was a talented artist, making crafts and painting just about anything. She will be remembered for her wonderful baking and warm hospitality. She earned the nickname "Ma Braaten" by several of her children's friends. Kathy had her finger on the pulse of Meeker County through police scanners that she monitored. She is survived by her husband Terry Braaten of Litchfield, children Cassandra Braaten (special friend Kevin Arneson) of Sioux Falls, Michael (Kristie) Braaten of Centennial, CO and their children Oliver and Maxwell, Alexander Braaten (girlfriend Dezaray Lanigan) of Danube; siblings Deacon Walter Kieffer of Collegeville, Dan Kieffer of Litchfield, Veronica Escen of Litchfield and Greg Kieffer of Dassel. She was preceded in death by her parents and a baby brother Mark Anthony Kieffer.