Kathy Ann (Lundy) Short

One definition of a heroine is a woman who is admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities; another definition of a heroine is a woman who shows great courage.

I would like to honor my wife, Kathy Ann (Lundy) Short, by placing her name in the Plaza of Heroines because I think that those definitions of a heroine describe her.

Kathy would think that the idea of her life being heroic is a pretty ridiculous notion. She would say that she is a normal, ordinary woman who hasn't accomplished much - she isn't rich, she never went to college, and she doesn't have a fancy job with a big salary.

But over the years, I have watched Kathy quietly conduct her life in a heroic manner. She is the most caring, sensitive, and thoughtful person that I know. Her acts of kindness range from something as simple as never forgetting the birthdays of a friend's children to the overwhelming tasks of caring for her parents and grandmother as they suffered from cancer. She also showed great courage as she faced her family's mortality and took overtheir affairs and tried to ease their pain.

At the same time Kathy was caring for her family, she was also working full-time and caring for me and our household as I decided to change careers and return to college. Thus, Kathy provided us with income and took care of all our family responsibilities which allowed me to devote all of my time to my college studies. Kathy and I had lived in the Webster City area all of our lives but when I graduated from college, we uprooted our home and moved to Kansas City so I could take a new job. By coping with all these things and finding a new job for herself, Kathy again showed great courage and determination.

Although she never had the advantages of a college education, Kathy has educated herself in such technical fields as data processing, computer programming, and accounting to become very proficient in those areas. As a result of these skills and her conscientiousness and perseverance, Kathy has become an extremely valuable asset to her employer.

So for the way she has lived her life, Kathy is admired and emulated by all of her family and friends. She has shown courage in meeting all of the obstacles that life has thrown her way. For these reasons, Kathy deserves to be honored as a heroine. Everything I have today, I owe to Kathy's achievements, qualities, and courage and I can't imagine what my life would be like without her. I admire and love her very much - Kathy is my heroine.

Submitted on 4/95