It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Katherine L Knott; she took her last breath in the early morning hours of 10/28/24 & her beautiful soul went to be with our Lord. Katherine, AKA Kat, was born on 2/16/77 in Galesburg; she was 47 years, 8 months, one week & 2 days young.
Born to Brian & Frankie Knott, she joined her two older sisters Crystal & Tamatha, and soon after welcomed her little sister, Anna, all of whom she was very close with. Katherine attended Lincoln elementary, Lombard junior high & GHS, making & keeping hundreds of friends along the way. Katherine dabbled in many sports & activities, but swimming was her passion, an activity she enjoyed throughout her adulthood. With a little genetics sprinkled in with years in the pool, she as known for having a physique that “made the rockin’ world go round “. In her early teen years, Katherine discovered her love of music, art, & culture, not to mention anything that went against societal norms; her eccentricity & creative soul started to shine, & Kat was born into existence.
In high school & into early adulthood, she worked at her beloved father’s business, Knott Music, where she made a name for herself, befriending many local business owners & proudly carrying on her father’s legacy. There was no other place she’d rather be than in that shop with her dad; she adored & loved him so. Soon after high school, she welcomed her first son, Tucker (Marshall), & two years later, Brick came along. Katherine delved into motherhood & was the epitome of a boy mom. Katherine doted on those little boys, & when Tucker was diagnosed with Asperger’s, a fighter she didn’t know existed inside of her emerged. Katherine was on the forefront of the fight to get her son the help that he needed, especially in the Galesburg school district; she was the catalyst for change for education equality in our little community for children on the spectrum. Determined to be self sufficient, Katherine enrolled in the dental hygienist program at Carl Sandburg college in her early 20’s. Raising two boys, managing her home & land, & having several art projects going at once, studying wasn’t easy, but she persevered; we were all so proud of her. Accomplishing this gave her great pride, not to mention opened many doors for her. She worked in a handful of dental offices, making lifelong friendships with her coworkers & patients alike…..her warmth, smile & easygoing demeanor made her patients comfortable in a less than fun environment. Katherine’s world changed when she & her longtime friend, Shawn, started dating; after kissing a few frogs, she had finally found her twin flame & ultimately, the love of her life. Although they lived in separate dwellings, they combined their lives along with their children’s, & had a loving , just shy of 10 year relationship. Shawn, an accomplished artist in his own right, complimented & nurtured Katherine’s creativity & free spirit & lovingly supported her in every way possible.
Although she loved a good day trip, loved to travel & any kind of adventure, she was a small-town girl through & through, & Galesburg was her home. You could find her in the pool at the Y, at the farmers market, walking around Lake Storey, at a restaurant downtown, or at the Civic Art Center. Several years ago, she & Shawn got involved in the Great Bowls of Soup, an event sponsored by the Civic Art Center which raises funds for local restaurants, the FISH food pantry, and the Civic Art Center. With the help of her mentor & friend, Chris Dokolasa, Katherine & Shawn made countless beautiful bowls to donate, & Great Bowls became a great source of inspiration to her.
There are countless, wonderful things to say & ways to describe Kat….she was quirky, talented, eccentric, beautifully messy & complicated & complex, but knowing & loving her, we know that she would want to be remembered simply as a good human being, & a loving mother, partner, sister, daughter & friend.
Katherine is preceded in death by her father, Brian Knott & mother, Francis (Frankie) Wall Knott. She leaves behind her 2 sons Tucker & Brick Palmgren, sisters Crystal (Jeff) Watson, Tamatha Jelinek, & Anna Knott, nieces & nephew Brittany Steffens, Anneshia Davenport, Lizzy Sherman, Frankie Kirkman & Charles Free, along with a growing number of great nieces & nephews. Kat also leaves behind her friend & lover, Shawn Cozad whom she loved & adored, & all of her loving, devoted friends of the Foxy B sisterhood of which Kat was one of the founding sisters.
The date for Katherine’s services have not been set, however will most likely be held late winter or early spring; when determined, the details will be announced in the newspaper & on social media. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Gofundme account, put in place to help her boys during this difficult time. (www.gofundme.com/help Katherine’s boys with final expenses).
Arrangements have been entrusted to Watson Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory, Galesburg. Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.watsonthomas.com.
