KESSEL, Kathleen Genevieve 'Kathy' CONDON 1957 - 2026
KESSEL, KLINE, CONDON, CARR, RUPPERT, COOK, KISNER, KOTTKE, WINFREY, HART, LEDGER, KALEN, TOBEN, ALLSUP, KOFFMAN, SIRDOREUS, GARRETSON, JOHNSON, HARRINGTON
Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/17/2026 at 13:56:02
"The Fairfield Ledger"
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Page A5, Columns 2 and 3Kathleen "Kathy" Genevieve KESSEL
FairfieldIf Kathy loved you, you knew it.
You felt that love in the way she paid attention, in how she remembered what you liked and made sure it was there, and in how you could walk into her home never needing to explain yourself.
If you spent any time with Kathleen "Kathy" Genevieve KESSEL, you knew everything centered in the kitchen. That was where she showed up for people in an unmistakable and steady way. There was always food, always something being made, and you knew you were going to be fed. More than that, she was quite literally a fixture there--preferring her place in the kitchen over anywhere else in the house, where she could see everything and everyone at once.
Kathy noticed details. She remembered preferences. If you had that favorite dish, she made it. If there was something you didn't like, she made sure it stayed off your plate. She paid attention in a way that made people feel taken care of without having to ask.
Feeding people was how she expessed love.
Kathy was born January 10, 1957, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. On October 25, 1975, she married Charles "Charlie" KESSEL, and together they built a life that spanned more than fifty years, celebrating thier 50th wedding anniversary in 2025. They showed up for each other and for others in a way that was simply who they were.
She was the mother of Jónquil, whom she raised, and Jenny, whom she was not able to keep but never stopped loving.
Kathy's work followed the same instincts that shaped her home. After studying culinary arts at Indian Hills Community College, she centered much of her life in kitchens and community spaces. She worked at the Walton Club and Stever House in Fairfield and later opened and ran the Country Cousins Café in Lockridge. Over the years, she also worked in real estate and at Telegroup, delivered papers for the Des Moines Register, was a food inspector for Lee County Department of Health, and later owned The Hideaway Bar in Fairfield. People knew her from different chapters of her life, but the through line was always the same--she made sure people were taken care of in ways that were real and immediate.
That belief extended beyond her own home. She believed no one should go without food and acted on that belief whenever she could. Kathy helped start The Lord's Cupboard food pantry in Fairfield and continued supporting local pantries over the years, often without drawing attention to it. Her home worked the same way.
People came and went. Sometimes for dinner, sometimes for much longer. Family members, friends, and people going through difficult stretches found their way there, and Kathy made room without making a point of it. That was just how things worked in her house. You didn't need an invitation, and you certainly didn't need a reason.
At the same time, Kathy had very clear ideas about how things should be done.
She believed in doing things the right way, and in her kitchen that belief showed up in the smallest details. The way something was cut, prepared, or served mattered to her, and she was not shy about saying so.
And sometimes that precision showed up in ways that were quietly funny. If you came into her house with a plastic grocery bag, she wasn't going to let you toss it aside. She would have you fold it properly into a neat square and bundle it with the others using a rubber band. If she didn't have time now, she would come back to it later. It was one of those small, specific habits that people came to expect and, over time, appreciate.
She had a way of approaching things that defied convention. She could be openly "bah humbug" about Christmas and had a soft spot for the Grinch, yet she never forgot what mattered to the people around her. Even in that contradiction, she made sure the people she loved had what they needed.
The people who knew her understood the balance. There was care behind her exactness and pride in doing things well. She expected effort because she believed those details were part of taking care of others properly.
Kathy was a contradiction. She could be stubborn and exacting, and she could also be deeply forgiving. She gave people more chances than most would have. She stayed in relationships that were complicated and sometimes difficult, showing up even when it would have been easier not to.
Without hesitation, she opened her home to people who needed somewhere to go and welcomed others into her circle. If you mattered to someone she loved, you mattered to her. Over time, she became a place to land when things fell apart, not because she had the perfect words, but because she was there.
She carried that same sense of responsibility into caring for her family. She cared for her father, Harvey in his final years, for her mother, Nadine, and for her stepfather Vince giving her time and energy in ways that were steady and sustained. She showed up for others more easily than she showed up for herself, and that pattern stayed with her.
She and Charlie also shared their time in service to others through their church, teaching Sunday school together for several years at First Lutheran Church in Fairfield. Kathy was an active member of P.E.O. Chapter OO, at the time of her passing. She served in various leadership positions.
In her later years, her health declined, but her approach didn't change. She remained independent and determined to manage things on her own terms, even when it became difficult. Despite the persistence of those around her, she held tightly to her sense of how things should be done.
She wanted to do things the right way. She carried that with her to the end.
Kathy passed away on April 22, 2026, at the Jefferson County Health Center in Fairfield with loved ones by her side, just days after the loss of her daughter, Jónquil, and on the anniversary of her father's passing. Those closest to her believe the weight of those losses was more than she could carry.
She is survived by her husband, Charles "Charlie" KESSEL and daughter Jennifer (Jamie) KLINE of Vinton, Iowa, and her grandchildren Michael (Katy) KLINE, Grant (Skylar) KLINE, and Jeremy KLINE; her great-grandchildren Adalida and Stetson KLINE.
Her siblings Kristine CONDON, Karol (Steve) CARR, Karin (Ken RUPPERT) CONDON, and Kirk (Julie COOK) CONDON, and her nieces and nephews Sean KISNER, Danielle (Zak KOTTKE) KISNER, Jennifer WINFREY, Grant WINFREY, Anngi (Todd) HART, Jessica LEDGER-KALEN, Erin (Justin TOBEN) LEDGER, Harley (Kolby) ALLSUP, Dalton COOK, and Alex KOFFMAN.
The survivors in the KESSEL family David (Charlotte) KESSEL, Ann SIRDOREUS, Mike (Bonnie) KESSEL, Joan SIRDOREUS, John (Kathy) KESSEL, Lynn (Jane) GARRETSON; along with many nieces and nephews and extended family members.
Kathy was preceded in death by her parents Harvey and Alberta CONDON, Nadine and Vince JOHNSON, her daughter Jónquil KESSEL, her sister-in-law Mary GARRETSON, brother-in-laws (sic) Jerry and Don SIRDOREUS, and nephews Ryan GARRETSON and David HARRINGTON.
She leaves behind a wide circle of people whose lives were shaped by her in both large and small ways, people she fed, housed, and stood by when things were hard.
Her absence shows up in everyday ways. A quieter kitchen. One less place where you could walk in without explanation. Fewer people who notice the small things and act on them.
Kathy was not easy to sum up, and she would not have tried to be. She was particular, generous, stubborn, and deeply caring. She held people to her standards and stood by them at the same time. For the people in her life, what mattered is that she showed up, again and again, in meaningful and enduring ways.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the African Violet Foundation, continuing her desire to help those in need. Contributions may be mailed to 709 S 2nd St, Fairfield, IA 52556.
A celebration of Kathy's life will be held in conjunction with the FUNeral for her dughter Jonquil on Saturday, May 23rd, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Fairfield Golf and Country Club. Friends may leave condolences online at www.cranstonfamilyfuneralhome.com.
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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.
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