Katharine (Kathy) Margaret Freese (Elsberry, Colburn) of Omaha, passed away on December 21, 2025 after a long battle with cancer. A celebration of life open house will be held at the Glenvil American Legion on June 13, 2026 from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m.

Kathy was born on December 6, 1944, in Topeka, Kansas to Lyle and Katharine (Deil) Elsberry. She graduated from Glenvil High School in May 1963 and then graduated from Clark’s School of Business in Topeka, Kansas in May 1964.

Kathy married Wayne Edward Colburn on September 5, 1964.

The couple lived in Glenvil for twenty-four years until moving to Holstein for thirteen years during which time they celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary. Wayne passed away in March 2001.

On June 2, 2007, Kathy remarried to Donald L. Freese in Central City. Don passed away in January 2019. Kathy moved to Omaha in January 2019 to live with her daughter, Rachelle and Sean Smith, to begin cancer treatment.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Lyle M. and Katharine M. Elsberry; her husband, Wayne Edward Colburn; her sister, Linda Miller; her brothers, Jerold and Roger Elsberry; and her husband, Donald Freese.

Kathy is survived by her children, Kimberly Wayne (Paula) Colburn of Katy, Texas, Thomas Ervin Colburn of Glenvil, Rachelle Katharine (Sean) Smith of Omaha, Patrick Deryl (Jackie) Colburn of Guide Rock; brothers, Marvin (Linda) Elsberry of Grand Junction, Colorado, Gene (Jorene) Elsberry of Concord, California, Thomas (Merrie) Elsberry of Cheyenne, Wyoming; sisters-inlaw, Carolyn Fredricks of Hastings and Wanda Elsberry of Visalia, California; fourteen grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

The Central City Republican-Nonpareil | February 5, 2026