Kathryn Ann Bennaka passed away peacefully in her Independence, MO home on June 27, 2019 at the age of 76. She was born November 6, 1942 to Sam & Agnes (Tollefson) Soyland. Kathy was the youngest of four children, joining siblings Dorothy, Donna and Lester. Born and raised in the Horton, KS area, Kathy would later raise her three sons in the same area with her former spouse, Harold Bennaka.

Kathy was Mom to Mike, Larry and Scott. She was Grandma to Josh, Katie, Steve, Laura and Eric. She was Great Grandma to Kyndall, Monroe, Mason, Miles, Quinn, Calogero, Grant and Colbie. She was also Sister, Mother-in-Law, Aunt, Cousin and Friend to countless others who were an important part of her life.
Those who knew Kathy remember her love of planting flowers in the spring, thus starting her annual battle with the squirrel population to keep them from destroying her beloved plants. We also remember her musical talents—Kathy played multiple instruments and even recorded several albums of her own music, some of which we are enjoying today.

Over the course of her life, Kathy faced a number of serious health issues with courage and grace. She was already a breast cancer survivor when she took on the greatest challenge of her life. On June 2, 2000, Kathy underwent a double lung transplant at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. While most patients survive an average of 5 years post-transplant, she was blessed with 19 bonus years. Words cannot express the profound gratefulness of Kathy’s family to the donor family and the medical staff who cared for her during those extra years she was given. A special thank you goes to Dr. Steven Stites and his staff along with the Photopheresis Team at KU Medical Center.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, August 10, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at the Dishon-Maple-Chaney Mortuary in Horton, KS. Following the service, family and friends are invited to a reception at Lentz Express Community Facility in downtown Horton to remember the love and laughter that was Kathy's life. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Friends of Everest Community Park and Prairie Gardens in care of the mortuary.