Kathleen Brekke

The story

The vigil will be on Thursday, June 23 at 7 pm and a memorial mass will be held on Friday, June 24 at 10:30 am. Both services will be at Our Lady of Lourdes Church (2808 Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland). In lieu of flowers, please give to one of the following organizations that serve the Oakland community: Saint Mary's Center, Native American Health Center, Studio One Art Center, Camps in Common or the Mills College School of Nursing.

Memory wall

10 tributes have been left in memory of Kathleen Brekke.

• graciemae

  I always remember Gramps and Grams would waltz with each other to this song up at camp. It was one of the ones, in their later years that they would dance t. Many couples would sit and just watch Grandma and Grandpa waltz together. It was one of the many ways they continued their great romance.

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• brekkemob

  "A Requiem for Kate" Nothing reveals the body as vessel quite like death When shallow breaths evaporate and that twinkle shoots across the sky of your eyes And disappears into the darkness of your infinity I can still see your silhouette dancing on the veranda with grandpa Or maybe you’re chasing children Or tip-toeing along Pacific crests with your sisters Or maybe you’re still here floating in the corners like Kenwood herbs Smiling down as we gather and storytell Laugh for levity Drink to toast Go gracefully old Kate You are an ancestor now Your spirit still feels of Happy Hour at Feather River But your fingers are cooling now like twisted branches washed upon the Dillon shore Sculptor hands Brick. oak. dough. flesh. You crafted amazing works of art you called children Named them with sounds Blessed them with stories Showed them ropes and hard work and love Hoisted grand babies into your arms and laughed Your art. Your kin. Rekindled and remade And we will beget more in your memory. Us grandkids have only witnessed your final chapters We but footnotes in your story Moons of distant planets All of us orbiting you (Seems somehow fitting that the moon is full tonight as you move toward Neptune) But we are your crescendo too Your banner men and torch bearers Your legacy incarnate Surrounding your bed Holding your hand firm and your spirit aloft Carrying you forward All will know the gospel of your life through our love, our work, and our joy They will know your stories and know your greatness through ours Because no man or woman stands alone Nobody is self-made outright We are built brick by brick Tempered, mixed and molded Baked in the sun and laid to cool as you are now Mortared by lessons and laid with purpose You there with the mason hands You made us possible Thank you for everything, grandma For always making your table longer and stretching food further For being both generous matriarch and coupon queen And for understanding that the latter enabled the former Thank you for being both maker and caretaker Cashier and culture keeper Thank you for vodka tonics and gin rummy schoolings For baseball cheering and rascal scoldings For being the sacred to my profane And the ember to our flames We strive to live on with your zen And to love as you did With bounty and grace. Amen.

• brekkemob

  

  We'll never forget the beautiful celebration of Kathleen and John's 70th wedding anniversary

• pj

  ‌I was not fortunate to have met Kathleen, but knowing some of her incredibly wonderful family has helped me to understand what an amazing woman she must have been. Treasure all the wonderful memories; I know she will be missed. My love and sympathy goes out to John and the entire family. Hold onto each other with the love that is so much defines the Brekke family. Paula ‌

• imbrekke

  

• brekkemob

  🕯 ‌Kathleen, we feel the pain of your absence yet also the awe of the 94 years you have given to your family, community, and the universe.‌

• brekkemob

  

• login

  

  We met Kate and John about 20 years ago while we were all sitting at tiny desks and chairs in a classroom at Redwood Heights School. It was Back-to-School night. As the years passed the time they spent in each classroom got shorter but the number of rooms they sat in increased. Both Kate and John were (and John still is) very involved with their Grandchildren's lives, attuned to what they were involved in and who their friends were. The same is true for their own children, participating whenever possible in all sorts of activities. I will never forget Kate saying at a political fund raiser; "my children's hobbies are my passion". Wow! Thanks for sharing the love. We will cherish our memories of you.

• dc

  

  I have been blest to have witnessed and experienced the love of John, Kate and the rest of the extended Brekke clan for more than 50 years. John and Kate experienced 70 years together in a loving committed marriage. Kate may have been pint size but she filled the room with her laughter, style and zest for life. I vividly remember her facial expressions as she engaged you in conversation truly interested in what you were doing with your life. I cherish this picture because it captured John, Kate and myself sharing one more laugh and hug while catching up. God blest Kate with a long life and she took full advantage raising a wonderful family and sharing her love with us. We celebrate you and thank you Kate. Love to all.Debbie, Monte, Benji, Dusty & Chloe'.

• brekkemob

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