Kathleen Briggs Litster

Kathleen Briggs Litster was born September 17, 1959 at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, California. She was born to Truman Theodore and Pearl Marie Diefenbach Briggs. She was welcomed by her five older siblings, 2 sisters, Barbara and Patti, and 3 brothers, Kenny, Larry and Mike. In Kathy's words she said: "My name is legally Kathleen Briggs because that is what is on my birth certificate. But my mom says the nurse forgot to put Marie in as my middle name." When she was baptized into the Catholic Church she was baptized as Kathleen Marie Briggs.
When Kathy was a young girl she had a few favorite toys she loved. She had a pull toy that had 5 ducks attached that would quack when she pulled it. She had a stick horse she loved to ride. And she had a teddy bear that she considered her best friend. She slept with him every night. He got to be old and was losing all the stuffing, so her mother burned him. In Kathy's words she said: "I thought my world was coming to an end. My mom had just killed my Teddy and I cried for weeks. A month later it was Christmas and I got a brand new teddy bear."
It wasn't long before Kathy figured out she was pretty good in school. In second grade her teacher gave her a story book called Elves and Fairies and wrote in it that she was the best girl in math class. In third grade Kathy met Terri Howlett, who became a best friend and would later be instrumental in introducing Kathy to the LDS church. In fourth grade she began playing the clarinet and by her own admission said that she was terrible. In fact, she said: "I mean really bad. I didn't improve much over the time I took it." By her sixth grade year she added the saxophone to the instruments she played. In fifth grade she met Dee Dee Brown. Dee Dee is the one who got Kathy hooked on Nancy Drew mystery books.
Kathy's eighth grade year became what she considered the most important year of her life. It was during this time Kathy started to be herself and wanted to make her own decisions. She and Terri Howlett began spending a lot of time together. Kathy spent a lot of time at the Howlett home where she would have discussions about religion with Terri's mother. Mrs. Howlett would ask her questions about the Catholic church that Kathy couldn't answer so she would ask her teacher. Her teacher couldn't answer them well enough to satisfy her so Kathy began wondering about things. Kathy first attended the LDS church with the Howlett family in 1973 and found it much different than the Catholic church. She said: "It was really a strange church this Mormon church, but it gave you a special feeling and the people were really excited about you being there." During the summer between her eighth and ninth grade years of school she took the missionary discussions. Kathy gives the following description of that period of time: "The missionaries became two of my special friends when I was going through a hard time in my life. They explained some important aspects of the Gospel to me and I had to decide for myself if I wanted to be baptized. At first I wanted to be baptized because the people were so super and full of love. But I didn't really know if the church was true or not. I asked Heavenly Father if the church was the right church like the Sister missionaries told me. I asked if he'd show me a sign and that way I'd know for sure. But that's not the way Heavenly Father works. And slowly but surely I gained a testimony. Not by any flash of light or vision or anything but by reading and gaining knowledge and praying about it. I really had to know if it was true or not. I was sticking my neck out a mile and a half. Finally I knew the church was true. I knew it was right for me to get baptized. So I asked my mom if I could join the church. She almost hit the ceiling. No! I could not join the church. I couldn't even go anymore."
On September 17, 1977, her 18th birthday, Kathy was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Kathy wait four years, until she was 18, to be baptized because her mother would not give consent.
Kathy went on to graduate from Brigham Young University with a Bachelors Degree in Genealogical Research. Family History became Kathy's passion in life. She studied and researched history and enjoyed historical reenacting and the wonderful people she came to know through reenacting. She belonged to the Utah Civil War Association. She served ten years in The Girl Scouts of USA organization as a leader. She was awarded the prestigious Thanks Badge, a national award for her service to the Girl Scouts organization at large.
Kathy is the proud mother of Becca and Matthew and a loving granny to Logyn. She is also survived by her sister, Barbara and brothers, Ken, Larry and Mike. She is preceded in death by her parents and sister, Patricia.