Kathy Sickels, 58

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 5, 2010

The funeral service for Kathy Sickels of Albert Lea will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Theodore Catholic Church. Deacon Mike Ellis will officiate. Interment will be Hillcrest Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Bonnerup Funeral Service, Albert Lea, and one hour before the service at the church.
Kathy died on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester. She was 58.
She was born on Oct. 26, 1951, in Albert Lea the daughter of Leslay and Lucille (Hautt) Harkner. She attended St Theodore’s School and Albert Lea High School. She married Harold Brandt and to this union Tammy and Tracy were born. They were later divorced. She married Raymond Sickels, the love of her life (besides “Elvis”) and they had two daughters, Teresa and Tara, and a son, Dale.
Kathy loved working with and helping people. She was able to share her compassion at her job at Community Action. It was here that she helped people get a new start and also was blessed to meet her best friend, Collette Turcotte.
Kathy enjoyed playing bingo, gambling and loved to shop. She especially enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren.
She is survived by her mother, Lucille Pagel, of Albert Lea; four children: Tammy Bryand and her husband John of Albert Lea, Tracy Nelson and her husband Michael of Mazeppa, Teresa Sickels of Hutchinson, Kan., and Tara Sickels of Fairmont; grandchildren: Anthony Brandt, Jesse Jordan and Paris Bryand, Tyler Hoff, Ariel Nelson, Mackenzie and Alec Jensen and Angelica and Jazmine Sickels; sisters: Deanne Adams and her husband Steven of Albert Lea and Cynthia Miranda and her husband Mark of Albert Lea; three brothers: Richard Harkner and his wife Bonnie of Albert Lea, Robert Harkner of Witchita, Kan., and Michael Harkner of Albert Lea; and many brothers-in-law, sisters-in law, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond; father, Leslay Harkner; stepfather, Bill Pagel; her brother, Eugene Peterson; and her infant son, Dale.
Kathy loved life and shared her joy with those around her. She was very blunt and honest but loved and gave with all her heart. Kathy was a “hoot” to be around, and her memories bring smiles to our hearts.