Judith Ann Kitzke

Judith A. (Lasniewski) Kitzke, 68, passed away surrounded by family on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Stormont Vail Health, Topeka, Kansas.

Judy was born in Greenbush, Minnesota, on February 8, 1957, to Robert and Julianna (Kukowski) Lasniewski. She grew up on a farm north of Greenbush, Minnesota, with three older brothers. She loved playing with her brothers (even though they didn’t always want to play with her). As a child, she enjoyed being outside, chasing her brothers, and following her father around. Judy attended grade school in Haug-Leo and started junior high in Greenbush. She had many fond memories of her friends and school days. In 1970, her parents sold the farm and left the cold Minnesota winters behind, relocating to Glasgow, Missouri, where Judy graduated from Glasgow High School in 1975. She kept in touch with a few close friends from high school over the years.

Judy later married Max Cox and moved to Prairie View, Kansas, in 1976, where they had two children: Robert and Tabitha. Roughly 19 years later, they divorced. In 1998, Judy married her best friend and the love of her life, Paul Thomas Kitzke Jr. To this union, she gained another son, Tommy, and daughter, Tammy. Judy and Tom spent the next 24 years together, enjoying travel to many horse sales, visiting family and friends, and, most of all, dancing!

Judy began her career in Kansas as a housekeeper at Phillipsburg Hospital. She quickly realized her desire to drive a school bus for USD 326 in Logan, Kansas. She loved the children and had many stories to share from her 16 years of driving. Judy also worked in various roles within the food service industry, including the kitchen at Logan Manor and the kitchen at Norton Prison. Her final job before retirement was reading meters for Prairie Land Electric.

In her free time, Judy had a well-known passion and talent for making and decorating cakes. She created cakes for every occasion, from birthdays and graduations to weddings. Over 28 years of cake-making, it was rare to hear her say "no." She would always find time to make a cake for anyone who asked. Her home was always filled with delicious foods and baked goods. She never missed an opportunity to remember special people’s birthdays with a pie or make popcorn balls to show her appreciation. Judy's generosity and kindness were evident in all she did for the people she loved.

If the weather was nice, you could always find her in her beautiful flower beds, tending to her garden. She took great joy in growing her garden and turning it into canned goods to share with others. As the years went by and she slowed down a little, Judy picked up another relaxing talent: crocheting. She made countless blankets for newborns, Christmas gifts, weddings, graduations, or just because. Judy often said, when asked what she did for a living, “Jack of all trades, master of none!”

Judy will be remembered for her unwavering spirit and her ability to find the silver lining in every situation. She dedicated her life to God, family, and friends. Her home was always open, and she had a remarkable way of making everyone feel welcome. She leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion, and resilience.

Judy was preceded in death by her husband Paul Thomas Kitzke Jr., her father Robert Lasniewski, her four brothers Victor, David, Thomas, and Theodore Lasniewski, and her son Thomas Verl Kitzke.

Survivors include her mother, Julianna Lasniewski (Grants Pass, OR); her brother, William (Terry) Lasniewski of Grants Pass, OR; daughters, Tambra (Trever) Roberts of Nebraska City, NE, and Tabitha (Anthony) Lamp of Topeka, KS; son, Robert Cox of Denver, CO; sister-in-law, Chris Lasniewski of Kokomo, IN; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles; and many adopted children and grandchildren she loved as her own.

A celebration of Judy's life will be held at the Prairie View Reformed Church (Prairie View, KS) 67664 on May 17, 2025, at 10:00 AM, grave side to follow at the Family Cemetery "End of the Trail". In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Prairie View Reformed Church which was close to Judy's heart.

Judy Kitzke will be dearly missed, but her memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.