Obituary of Joanne Elizabeth Kutsch

Joanne Elizabeth Kutsch, devoted wife of Victor for 52 years, beloved mother of seven sons,and owner of Meadowyn Kennels, passed away surrounded by family on December 30, 2011. She is survived by their sons, Jeffrey (Marie), Anthony (Charlotte), Michael (Ami), Nicholas (Laura), Kenneth (Suzanne), Christopher, and Victor (Tricia); 13 grandchildren, Matthew, Lynn, Valerie, Rosalyn, Eli, Eric, Max, Michael, Andrew, Zachary, Odessa, Maya, and Chloe; her brothers, Jack (Tracy) Zimmerman of Coupeville, Washington and Jim (Linda) Zimmerman of Wendell, North Carolina; her nieces and nephews; and countless friends. Joanne was born September 25, 1937 in St. Louis, Missouri to the late John and Laverna Zimmerman and grew up near Washington, DC. During elementary school, she was the May Queen at St. Ignatius Church. Her love of animals began early in life with her Collies, Pollyanna and Princess, and her cherished horse, Gypsy. She also had goats through 4H. She graduated top in her class from Immaculate Conception High School in Washington, DC and then went on to complete her nursing degree at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. She worked at St. Elizabeth's Hospital and Doctor's Hospital then continued to apply her nursing skills for years in caring for her sons. On November 28, 1959, she married Victor Kutsch. They resided in Temple Hills, Maryland for 21 years where they raised their sons before moving to Prince Frederick, Maryland for 18 years. They moved to Elizabeth, Colorado in 2004. Joanne and Victor celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary in November. Joanne was very devoted to both her family and her dogs. An avid dog lover, she was engaged in many aspects of dog breeding, showing, and training. Founding Meadowyn Kennels, she raised broods of Corgis and Belgian Sheepdogs. Joanne competed in trials in many areas, including conformation, agility, obedience, rally obedience, tracking, and herding, and she obtained many titles and championships. Notably, she achieved versatility companion dog titles for three of her dogs (Sugar VCD2, Bizzie VCD2, and Toby VCD1). Toby's title work was completed in recent years despite her health issues. Her dog, Arras, was the first German Wirehaired Pointer to obtain a tracking title in the United States. Joanne was a founding member of the Southern Maryland Dog Training Club and a member of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of the Potomac, Denver Foothills Tracking Association, and Belgian Sheepdog Club of America. One of her favorite dogs was Champion Meadowyn's Ain't She Sweet (Sugar), UD, HSA, AX, AXJ, RE, VCD2 (www.kodarbelgians.com/sugar.htm). Joanne also loved her donkeys and goats. She began training her donkey, Stormy, to pull a cart. Her goats could often be seen climbing on the dogs' agility equipment. Joanne was well known for her fabulous cooking and baking. She will be particularly remembered for her pies and Christmas cookies a�" for the past forty years, family, friends, and neighbors could count on gift plates with over a dozen varieties. For family, no other cookies will ever compare. She also enjoyed going out to eat and attending local concerts with her husband and family. Joanne was an avid reader and was prolific in her needlepoint, knitting, and crocheting. She enjoyed playing cards every day with her husband and whenever possible with her sons. Many a long evening was spent playing cards, telling stories, and laughing with family around the dining room table. Joanne was a wonderful gardener whose house was always awash with color in the summer. She loved crabbing when the family went on vacation in Chincoteague, Virginia. Joanne enjoyed spending time with her family and will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Joanne was a devout Catholic. She was a member of the Assumption Parish in Washington, DC, St. Ignatius Parish in Oxon Hill, Maryland, St. Francis de Sales in Benedict, Maryland, Jesus the Divine Word in Calvert County, Maryland, and Our Lady of the Visitation Parish in Kiowa, CO. As her health declined in the later years, she accepted the challenges and simply adjusted. We were amazed by her grace, strength, and positivity even in her final days. Even in her last week, she always had a smile, a joke, or a compliment for her nurses. She was a role model for us all. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2012, 11:00 a.m., at Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church, 34201 County Road 33 in Kiowa. Burial will be at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. Viewing will take place one hour prior to Service at the Church. There will be a reception at the church after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Belgian Sheepdog Rescue Trust (http://www.bscarescue.com) or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org). Please visit the tribute page at http://joanne.kutsch.muchloved.com/frame.aspx where you can post and view pictures and memories of Joanne. Service Information