Katherine F. Wright

KATHERINE F. (Katy) WRIGHT Katherine Wright, age 80 of Grand Forks, died of Alzheimer's Disease April 22, shortly after her family all arrived to be with her at Luther Memorial Home, Mayville, ND. She was born April 24, 1937 to Jack & Ruth (Holmes) Dodd in Powell, WY. Katy grew up in Kansas City, KS where she graduated from Wyandotte HS in 1955. On a blind date in 1956, she met her husband of nearly 61 years. Paul & Katy were married June 6, 1957. Their children, all raised in Grand Forks, are Beth (Bob) Weiss, Margie (Don) Bartholomew, Mary K. Wright, Andrew Wright, & Susie (Larry) Julsrud. Their grandchildren are Ben Weiss, Tim Knudson, Amy Wickman, Joshua Wright; and step-grands Sara & Steven Julsrud. Athena and Etta are their great-granddaughters. By 1975, Katy earned a BA, MA, and PhD in Counseling and Guidance from UND. She specialized in addiction counseling, working at United Hospital, Northeast Human Services, and Council on Alcohol & Drug Problems, before operating a private practice from 1986-2009. Katy served as adjunct faculty in UND's Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Counseling Dept between 1979-84. Katy was an active volunteer, serving on Salvation Army's GF board, and as a Red Cross crisis counselor. She spent 2 weeks in NYC following 9/11, providing emotional support for emergency workers directly impacted by the terrorist attacks. International travel included British Isles and Israel for professional conferences, and Uzbekistan and Philippines, where Katy shared her deep faith in Christ during mission trips. Katy liked to read, knit, and make quilled paper gifts, and loved the many cats who owned her over the years. Katy was predeceased by her parents; her aunt, Mary Sue Holmes; half-sister Millie (Butch) Heaton, an infant half-brother, and infant brother, William. Surviving are her husband, children, grandchildren, & great-granddaughters, brother, Jim (Linda) Dodd, and nephew, Jimmy Dodd. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 2:00 P.M. at the Amundson Funeral Home in Grand Forks. Visitation will be one hour prior to service time. There will be no burial, Katy donated her body to UND Medical School.