Kathleen “Kay” Simons, 97, of Carroll, passed away on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, December 13, 2025, at St. Lawrence Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Timothy Schott. Music will be by Kathy Halbur and Sherry Loughran. Lector for the Funeral Mass will be Jeffrey G. Reed. Gift Bearers are Henry F. Reed and Sarah C. Fennell. Honorary Casket Bearers are Sarah C. Fennell, Dr. Claire Simons, Elyse Simons and Olivia Simons. Casket Bearers will be Henry F. Reed, John S. Reed, Brian Vea, Edgar Vea, Ben Simons and Adam Simons. The Carroll Catholic Daughters of the Americas will form an Honor Guard for the Funeral Mass. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll.
Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. prior to the Funeral Mass at St. Lawrence Church.
Memorials may be left for Kuemper Catholic Schools Foundation or St. John Paul II Parish.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Kay’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Kathleen “Kay” Theresa Simons was born on December 16, 1927, in Carroll, Iowa, the daughter of Clem and Leona Tigges (nee Liewer). She grew up on a farmstead near Willey during the great depression and then on a farmstead just south of Maple River. She was a graduate of St. Angela Academy (1945) and later graduated from the St. Anthony School of Nursing (1948) as a registered nurse.
On January 8, 1951, Kathleen was united in marriage to Marvin J. Simons by Reverand Peter Mattes at St. Francis Church, Maple River, Iowa. Following their honeymoon in Chicago, they made their home in the red brick house on the family farm where Marvin grew up, in Carroll. They were blessed with nine children and raised them in the Catholic tradition with Kay managing the household and Marvin managing the grain and livestock businesses.
Kay’s greatest joys arose from her family, faith, music, and reading. She led by example and instilled strong conservative values and a strong work ethic in all of her children. She loved to listen to music and to sing, she loved “bridge club” and playing euchre. She was an amateur meteorologist and would not miss the “weather report” on the radio or fail to report the weather when you called for a chat. She loved flowers, and watching the horse races with Marvin, in Hot Springs, AR every spring. Kay never forgot a family birthday or wedding anniversary as those cards arrived every year.
Kay’s Catholic faith was a vital part of her life. She always had a rosary in her hands and the TV tuned to the daily mass. Through the years she was active in The St. Lawrence Ladies Guild making sure each funeral had flowers and “prayers.” She loved singing in the choir at St. Lawrence. The legacy she leaves is grounded in selflessness and faith in God. Kay was an active member of St. Anthony Nurses Alumnae Association, St. Lawrence Parish and Ladies Guild and The Catholic Daughters of America.
Kay is survived by her sister, Sister Mildred Tigges FSPA of Lacrosse, WI; her sister-in-law, Ruth Tigges of Carroll, IA; her brother-in-law, Dr. Richard Pitner, of Omaha, NE; her children, Sarah (Jeffrey) Reed of Chicago, IL, Mary Ann (Lynn) Vea of Mokena, IL, Peter (Dr. Marcia Whited) Simons of Carroll, IA, John Simons of Glidden, IA, Paul (Margaret) Simons of Chicago, IL, Matthew (Trista) Simons of West Des Moines, IA; her son-in-law, Dan Fennell of Orono, MN and Palm Beach, FL; her grandchildren, Sarah Colleen Fennell of Minneapolis, MN, Henry F. Reed of Cleveland, OH, John (Amy Zumbahlen) Reed of Chicago, IL, Brian Vea of Mokena, IL, Edgar Vea of Mankato, MN, Dr. Claire Simons of Royal Oak, MI, Elyse Simons of Chicago, IL, Olivia Simons of Chicago, IL, Adam Simons of Iowa City, IA, and Benjamin Simons of West Des Moines, IA; her great-grandchildren, Colette S. Reed of Chicago, IL and Fremont W. Reed of Chicago, IL; and many nieces and nephews.
Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Clem and Leona Tigges; her father and mother-in-law, Henry and Clara Simons; her husband, Marvin J. Simons; her sisters, Delores Sullivan and Joan Pitner; her brothers, Edwin Tigges and Leon Tigges; her sister-in-law, Helen Jane Hannasch (nee Loew); her brother-in-law, Tom Sullivan; her brother and sister-in-law, Ned and Helen Collison; her brother and sister-in-law, Elmer and Leola Simons; her three children, Henry J. Simons, James C. Simons and Ramona Fennell; her niece, Julie Ann Tigges; her nephew, Douglas Gerard Tigges; her niece, Monica Simons; and her grandson, Andrew Fennell.
“Whatsoever you ask for in prayer, believe.” (Mark 11:24)