Washington, Utah - Katherine Sue Goodell Massey passed away September 5, 2023, at home with her family surrounding her.

Kathy was born January 28, 1953, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Joseph Charles and Florence Jean Phinney Goodell. She grew up on the family wheat farm playing and working. She climbed the big tree, played hotel with her brother Tom, and was the best chicken plucker in the family.  She attended school at a small country school 1 mile from home from kindergarten to 8th grade, then Morrill High school and graduated from Scottsbluff High School in 1971. She then attended Ricks College for 2 years and graduated from BYU with a BS degree in education. She enjoyed college life and practiced dating with several guys until Markel was old enough to go to college. They fell in love and were married in the Manti Temple in 1978.

Married life began with picking out a place on a map and landing in Spokane, Washington where Kali and David were born. They lived there for 4 years, then moved to Vernal, Utah. Those first few years she lived very frugally as finances were very tight, but the Lord always blessed them to have just enough. Natali, Micah, and Ambria were born while living in Vernal and she was a very busy mother. When asked if she worked, her answer was always "Yes, but not for money!"

In 1989, they moved to Las Vegas where Britt was born. In whatever city she lived, friends were plentiful as everyone loved her and felt loved by her. Kathy enjoyed roughing it when camping and cooking over a campfire instead of a cook stove. She was a great cook, but always worried about her meals when cooking for others.

The two things she was passionate about most were family history and emergency preparedness. Kathy loved doing family history and helping others with it. She was also very prepared for any possible emergency. Food storage, camping supplies, 72-hour kits and dehydrated water packets filled every closet and were stuffed under every bed. She could tell you how many pounds of each food staple a person needed to survive for a year. She was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was willing to serve in any way.

Kathy and Markel traveled some after retiring and were grateful to have served as Facility Maintenance missionaries in Nauvoo for 18 months. They took care of the historic pioneer era homes and all the antique artifacts in them. She loves her six children and six children-in-law and 23 grandchildren and made sure to have a family reunion every year with all of them. She is a comforter, defender, advocate and was always there when her children needed her. Her family can say, like Helaman said in describing his stripling warriors, "We do not not doubt our mothers knew it."  Her parting words to her family were, "Stay true to the gospel because the Lord will never let you down."

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Liz, and her brother Joe. She is survived by her husband, Markel; children: Kali (Mike) Evans, David (Maria) Massey, Natali (Kevin) McKee, Micah (Emily) Massey, Ambria (Carson) Graff, Britt (Olivia) Massey; sister, Mary Ann Jenkins; and brothers: Gene Coleman and Tom Goodell.

Funeral services will be held Friday, September 15, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at the Washington Fields 5th Ward Chapel, 1867 South Washington Fields Road, Washington, Utah 84780. Visitations will be held Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, prior to services, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the church.

Interment will be in the Washington City Cemetery, 300 Park View Drive, Washington, UT 84780.

For those unable to attend the services may be viewed at the following link:

https://zoom.us/j/99929020715?pwd=WHJuWW9DZm4ySFVjTU9rOWZBVE9Cdz09 .

Katherine Massey Funeral Service Program