Kathleen A. “Kath” Schultz, age 57, of Camanche, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, October 4, 2025. A visitation will be held on Friday, October 10th from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at the Pape Funeral Home. Funeral Services will take place at 3:00 PM on Saturday, October 11th at the funeral home.

Kath was born in Clinton on November 11, 1967, to Robert and Rebecca (Robbins) Waterman. She graduated from Camanche High School in 1986 and earned her nursing degree from Clinton Community College.

For nearly two decades, she poured her heart into caring for others at Mercy Hospital, and later continued that same compassion during her time at Genesis in DeWitt. Kath wasn’t just a nurse, she was the definition of comfort. She had a gift for making people feel safe, seen, and cared for. Her heart was bigger than most, and she gave love freely and fiercely to everyone lucky enough to know her. She was the brightest light in every room, the kind of person who made everything feel okay just by being there.

She was the rock of her family, the one who kept everyone grounded, connected, and strong. No matter what life threw their way, they knew they had Kath to lean on. She held them together with her strength, her laughter, and her undying love.

Kath loved with her whole heart. Her children and grandchildren were the center of her world, and her many nieces and nephews were like her own. She was always cheering someone on, offering a shoulder to cry on, or showing up with a warm hug and some form of sarcasm.
She was a woman of simple joys: shooting pool, throwing darts, and sipping coffee. She never missed a chance to cheer on her favorite teams: the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Denver Broncos, the Chicago Cubs, and the Indiana Fever.

She is survived by the love of her life, Matt Kruthoff; her former husband and friend, Wayne Schultz; her four children: Brianna (Nick) Mohr of Ankeny, Cassandra (Autumn) Willis of Clinton, Amanda Libberton (Steve Valdez) of Clinton, and Carter Schultz of Camanche; her beloved grandchildren, Reid and Roman and soon to be: Haisley Kathleen, her siblings: Beth (Roger) Vogel of Camanche, Tricia Waterman of Clinton, Wayne (Kodee) Waterman of Clinton, Jana (Dave) Weber of Alliance, NE, Michael (Jan) Beller of Hawaii, Kim (Denny) McFarland of Arizona, and Kris Hardison of Camanche; her cherished step-mom Betty Waterman of Camanche; her wonderful step-father Steve Carpenter of Nebraska; her bonus family, Georgia Kruthoff, and her faithful four-legged friend, Ruby. She also leaves behind many nieces and nephews who meant the world to her and who will always carry her love in their hearts. Kath was preceded in death by her parents and her grandmother, Rosemary Waterman.

There will never be another Kath. Her love was deep, her laugh was contagious, and her presence was a blessing to everyone who knew her. We will miss her every day, but her light will live on in all of us. The family would like to send a special thank you to her cancer treatment team in Des Moines, Heartland Hospice, and anyone else who helped contribute to her care throughout the last 5 years. You all made this difficult process more bearable. Memorials may be made to the family. Online condolences can be shared at www.papefh.com.