La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Kitty died August 9th at age 98 in La Conner, Washington

Catherine, “Kitty” Ruth Oberholtzer Pippen was born in rural China where her parents were missionaries. Her brother Henry and identical twin sister Marie were homeschooled and then attended North China American School near Beijing.

Kitty came to America for college at North Manchester, Indiana, where she met her husband Eldon. Kitty taught home Economics and art while Eldon was in Basic training. Their first child, Carl David was born while Eldon was overseas. Graduate school after WWII brought Kitty and Eldon to California where Sylvia and Nancy were born. Kitty worked as a draftswoman at the Bio Chemistry Department at the U. of California Berkeley.

After retiring, Kitty and Eldon moved to Lake Almanor near Mount Lassen where they lived for 25 years in their beautiful mountain home and then in Chico for 10 years. She took up watercolor painting and all kinds of needle arts.

Always an artist, Kitty started her quilting career at age 70, winning first place for her Cranes quilt. She wrote her first book, Quilting with Japanese Fabrics at age 80 that has been reprinted 14 times. She traveled and taught all over the western states and traveled to Japan.

In 2014, Kitty and Eldon moved to La Conner to be close to their daughter Sylvia and husband Peter. Kitty had two quilt shows at the PNW quilt & Fiber Arts Museum and continued to quilt and help Sylvia with her quilt designs.

Kitty was much beloved by her family and wide circle of friends. Always an optimist, she had a generous spirit, always welcoming and ready to give an impromptu quilt show. Kitty passed down her love of quilting to Sylvia. Kitty is preceded by her husband Eldon, and survived by her three children, David, Sylvia and Nancy, four grandchildren, Sean, Evan, Brian & Ami, and four great-grand-daughters, Sienna, Alexandria, Lily, and Addison, nieces Susan and Louise, and nephew Alfred.

A Celebration and Quilt Show will be held at the La Conner Retirement Inn November 18th at 2 PM.

Our family wishes to thank the loving professional staff at the La Conner Retirement Inn and Hospice.

Contributions in Kitty’s memory can be made to the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum in La Conner.