Obituary of Kristine Kempf

Kristine Kempf nee Bell, age 71 of Eleva, Wi, passed away November 26, 2018. Loving wife of John Kempf for 50 years. Adored mother of James (Jennifer) and Richard (Shari) Kempf. Cherished grandmother of Mikayla, John, Evan, and Katherine. Beloved sister of Susan Benike, Mary Offerman, and Theresa Bell-Stone. Loving aunt, cousin and friend to many, Kristine will be missed dearly by all.

Kristine grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and met John while both were attending UW-Eau Claire in 1965.   They were married on June 15^th, 1968 at St. Olaf’s in Eau Claire.  After brief stays in Illinois and Indiana, Kristine and John spent most of their married life in Wisconsin.

Kristine had a love for all living things and while horses were her favorite from an early age, she loved having cats and dogs and had a particular affection for Pomeranians.  Kristine took in and cared for a number of stray cats and she always made sure that her bird feeders were full for all the winter birds.     

Kristine was an avid reader – trips to the library often resulted in stacks of books coming home with her and it was not uncommon for Kristine to carry her latest book with her wherever she was going. 

Some of Kristine’s family’s favorite memories of her included her making dozens of cut-out cookies to decorate each Christmas, her volunteer work at Feed My People where Kristine loved helping those who were in need of a hot meal and a kind word, her strong Catholic upbringing and conviction to always attend Sunday mass regardless of the weather or situation, and Kristine’s amazing work ethic -- often working two jobs to help make ends meet in the early years and she held a wide variety of jobs including working at Dairy Queen, picking apples at local apple orchards, assistant teaching at the Eau Claire Academy, and working as a ward clerk at both Sacred Heart Hospital and Oakleaf Clinics.

Memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on December 21^st, 2018 at Newman Parish in Eau Claire – University Parking Water Street Lot.  Inurnment private. In lieu of flowers, donations to Feed My People at https://www.fmpfoodbank.org/ or Newman Parish at 110 Garfield Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, appreciated.