Kathryn “Kay” Conner, age 93 of Belle Fourche, died Sunday, September 22, 2024 at the Rolling Hills Healthcare Center in Belle Fourche.
Kay’s life will be celebrated 11am Monday, September 30, 2024 at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. There will be no visitation. Inurnment will be held at Bear Butte Cemetery, in Sturgis. Friends may leave written condolences at: www.LeveringtonFH.com
Kay was born December 10, 1930 in Belfield, North Dakota. She grew up on the family farm near Belfield, North Dakota. Times were tough when she was young. She was one of 12 siblings, so Kay learned how to work hard in life. Kay worked hard on the farm, but also in the bakery that was located in Belfield. It is at the bakery where she met a man named Billy Olson and she started helping him with his business, collecting money and writing tickets. That’s how she got educated and prepared to eventually own her own business, called Kay’s Tax Service. Her and Billy were married in 1949 and they lived in Hettinger ND, and Lemmon SD. Together they loved the ranch life, raising horses and cattle. Billy died in 1992. Kay then married her loving husband, Jerry Conner, in 2005 in Whitewood.
For the past many years, Kay and Jerry have lived in Belle Fourche where she supported Jerry’s love of fishing, her tax work, and their church. In 2012 she retired from her business.
Kay was a woman who could do almost anything. From rodeo acts, to bull fighting, she was a tough lady. Kay was one of the only females who would be in the bull fighting barrels and she was even able to drive a semi-truck during her ranch life. Kay loved to square dance, the rodeo, playing card games, but her true love was the ranch life and raising horses and cattle.
Kay is survived by her husband, Jerry Conner of Belle Fourche; daughter, Peggy Olson of Denver CO; son, Randy (Cindy) Olson of Bismarck ND; 4 grandchildren, Buck Olson, Casey Olson, Kelly Hughes, Michael Dickerson; several great grandchildren; and sister, Leona Fink of Bismarck ND. She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband; and 10 siblings.
