Katherine Marie Pohjonen, age 19 of Vadnais Heights, formerly of Hudson was unexpectedly found deceased on Tuesday January 25th at her residence. Kathy was born on January 27, 1991 in Hudson; the daughter of Lawrence and Susan (Bynum) Quam. She attended North Hudson Elementary and Hudson Middle School prior to graduating from Hudson High School in the class of ‘09. She currently worked for KinderCare in Oakdale where she thoroughly loved working with the toddlers. On August 1, 2009, she was united in marriage to Kalen Pohjonen at Bethel Highlands Lutheran Church in Hudson. Together, they made Vadnais Heights their home.
She enjoyed hanging out with friends and family. She was a very loving person who loved helping people. She was nice to everybody. No matter what she was doing, she was always around little kids. She worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the YMCA when she was in high school. She loved the water. She was her mom’s Barbie doll when her mom was going through cosmetology school. She liked being outside. She could always make people laugh and was smiling all the time. Nothing was ever planned with her but she always knew what she wanted. Kathy strived to do something in the medical field because NOTHING grossed her out. She was planning to go back to school to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse.
Kathy is survived by her parents Lawrence and Susan Quam of Hudson, siblings Daryl Quam and Kamini Balakrishnan of Bloomington, MN; Michael and Rebecca (O’Brien) Quam of LaCrosse, WI; Scott Quam of Menomonie, WI; and paternal grandparents Yvonne and Lawrence Quam of Superior, WI; her best friend Anna Bellinger of Hudson, WI; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by Maternal Grandmother Violet Bynum.
A Celebration of Life for Katherine will be 1:30PM Monday January 31st at Bethel Highlands Lutheran Church; 504 Frontage Road in Hudson. Visitation will be on Sunday from 4 until 8PM at Bethel Highlands Lutheran Church and one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. Burial will be in the Willow River Cemetery with active casket bearers being her brothers Daryl, Michael and Scott; and Uncles Ronald, David and Dennis Quam. Memorials to the Bethel Highlands Preschool are preferred. Funeral services have been entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home of Hudson, 715-386-3725.