Kathleen Kaye “Tootie” (Rynearson) Davis

Oct 26, 1941 - Feb 22, 2013

Kathleene grew up surrounded by the love of her parents Earl and Evelyn (Mahler) Rynearson and her brothers Earl, Jr. and Ron. Family was at the center of her life from the day she was born on October 26, 1941 until the day she lost her battle with breast cancer on February 22, 2013.

She spent her childhood with her brothers and cousins attending church, camping, riding horses and playing with her pet raccoon Jimmy. She endured being teased for not having hair that resulted from alopecia. These experiences accounted for her lifelong commitment to kindness and intolerance for cruelty.

The South Bend Central graduate married James R. Davis in 1963. While the marriage did not last, the two celebrated the birth of their only child Michelle in 1965. Mother and daughter were best friends.

When Michelle married childhood sweetheart Bill Niemier, Kathy gained a treasured son. It was unquestionably her three grandchildren (Michael, Sarah and Tommy) that brought her the most joy. She loved attending their sports events, school performances and simply hanging out with them to hear about their day.

Family also included a great many others. She was proud of her "second daughter" Jodie (Booth) Freeland who grew up to marry a wonderful man and have two daughters. She has joined her best friends Michelle's stepmom Ann and mother-in-law Wanita in Heaven where they are most certainly sharing a great deal of laughter.

Her working years included more than twenty-eight years at Mishawaka Steel Fabricating. When that company closed, she joined the Peerless Midwest family. Even after retiring in 2007, she continued to participate in Peerless gatherings. In 2008, she started a new chapter to her life and moved in to her 100+ year old dream house next door to her grandkids in New Palestine, Indiana.

When faced with the harsh diagnose of inflammatory breast cancer, her positive attitude didn't diminish neither did her acts of kindness. At the Central Regional Cancer Center at Community North Hospital, she made Sunshine Sacks for patients and cookies for the staff.