Our mother, Kathryn “Hitch” Venzor, went home to Jesus on July 18, 2023. Hitch was born in Lander, Wy on June 20, 1940. Hitch was raised on a farm where hard work was taught and expected at an early age. Not only did she learn her work ethic from working the farm, but she also learned how to play pranks on her siblings. She was one of ten children that was born to Kenneth and Mildred Thompson. Many stories were told of the fun they had living on the farm. From tying her younger sister to a pig to removing “war paint” from her sisters face w/gasoline. The farm is also where mom earned her nickname, Hitch. At an early age, she loved her older brother, Ed, and whenever he rode a horse and would come in from working, she would hold his horse for him. Thus, the name hitching post came about but that was later shortened to Hitch. She was known everywhere by that name. If anyone ever called her by her given name, Kathryn, people had no idea who that was. Her nickname was always a topic of discussion. Mom graduated from Lander in 1958 and, shortly thereafter, married Richard Venzor on October 9, 1958. They made a home in Hudson and later in Lander Wy, raising five children. Mom worked numerous jobs while raising her children. She worked side by side with her sisters, Charlotte and Mary, at various local restaurants. One of those restaurants was Dairyland. This is where the Cartwheel was invented by her and her sisters. The Cartwheel is now known as the Cheesewheel. Through the years Mom worked and managed Dairyland and she also came alongside teenagers teaching them the meaning of working hard but having fun. She loved kids and it showed in how she treated them. Not only did she earn their respect, but she also had a flair about her that kids gravitated to. She worked alongside all of them working just as hard, if not harder. In her later years, she worked for the school district as a cook for many years. She also worked in the Lander girls group home for many years. She loved the girls and taught them how to cook, crochet, and loved taking them out for fun. Lots of times Mom spent her own money to give back to the girls. This is an area of Mom’s life where she blessed others, and no one was the wiser. She would go about it in a way that no one knew where funds or gifts came from. Mom loved all five of her children dearly. She was meant to be a mother and grandmother. She embodied those roles to perfection. She would help with fundraisers when her kids were in sports, or she would sit all weekend helping at a timing table when her younger girls swam for the Lander AAU swim team. It did not matter if it was watching her son wrestle or her girls play sports, we always knew when mom was in the stands. She had a voice that carried and boy, did she use it. She was an amazing grandma and loved her grandkids immensely. Mom loved teaching her grandchildren how to say the rosary and she taught many of the girls how to crochet, make tortillas and Green Chile which they all love to this day. She loved playing with them and later as they grew up, she enjoyed their company. Mom loved playing cards and Hand and Foot was the game she loved best. During our Thompson family reunions, which are still held every summer, you could find a competitive, name calling, all out “anyone is fair game” kinda game. When her and her sisters got together to play Yahtzee when their children were younger, if you were easily offended by name calling, it was best to stay out of the game. So much fun was had by her and her sisters during this time in their lives.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Richard, daughter Melanie, her grandchildren Rodney Majdic, Claire Green, Tony Venzor, and Anna Del Venzor, her sister, Charlotte Majdic and brothers, Edward Thompson, Chuck Thompson, and brother-in-law, Dale Runnberg. She is survived by her three daughters, Stephanie (Lawrence) Majdic, Stacie Byrd, and Susie (Jamie) Martin, sisters Mary Runnberg, Jeanie (Mike)Larsen, brothers, Warren (Sherry)Thompson, Hubba(Jolene) Thompson, Eugene (Phyliss) Thompson, and Bob (Georgianne) Thompson, grandchildren Brandy (Chad)Moeller, Colette Venzor, Dakota Venzor, Kirbie (Dustin)Despain, Nathaniel Venzor, Abigail (Jeremiah)Ryan, Cody Green, Kylie Byrd, Emily Martin & Peyton Martin and her daughter-in-law, Fawn Venzor. She had nine great grandchildren and her best friend, Bev Cox. And numerous nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind her beloved dogs, Lady and Jett.
Mom will be missed immensely but we know our mother’s legacy will live on by the many lives she touched, and we are blessed because of that. Funeral services will be held at the Catholic church on Monday, July 24, 2023, at 2:00pm. A Rosary Vigil will be held Sunday, July 23, 2023 at 5:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Wyoming Pioneer Home in Thermopolis, WY or Westward Heights in Lander, Wy.
Please sign the online guestbook at: hudsonsfh.com