Kathy Ann Poppenhagen, 53

Cremation has taken place and a celebration of her life will be scheduled at a later date.

Kathy was born February 9, 1962, at Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Anelda Mae Sinks and Louis Eugene Poppenhagen, their third child.When she was 6, she danced ballet and tap with the 11-year-olds in the El Cajon Valley Fair in California, where they were then residing. She later graduated from the El Cajon high school, being voted “most photogenic.”

At the age of 18, Kathy began modeling in San Diego. From there she went on to acting, landing parts in several movies and TV episodes.

She went on to take three years of college training, and wrote and produced a short movie,The Masquerader, which aired for a time on PBS Nebraska.The movie included her friend, actress and commedian Linda Lutz, and her brother, Corey. Kathy designed and sewed the costumes and managed the lighting and filming on her own.What memories this has left us with!

Her artistic abilities also included her work with charcoals, and she created many drawings.

Kathy was a kind, loving person, even during the eight years that she suffered with a rare form of cancer. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends.

She was proceeded in death by her brothers,Wayne and Adam; her grandparents, RaymondW. and Lula Mae (Hazen) Sinks and Earl P. and Pearl (Solley) Poppenhagen; great-grandparents George L. and Alta (Anderson) Sinks; and nephew Damien Ray Poppenhagen.