Emma Jean Harvey Kautz was born July 7, 1940 to parents Lyle and Stella Harvey in Weiser, Idaho, she passed away on March 10, 2023 just a few blocks from where she was born. Emma, also known as “Jeanie”, graduated from Weiser High School in 1958 and in 1959 married the love of her life George Kautz. They celebrated 63 years of marriage before the death of George in 2022 but the legacy they both built lives on in their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Jeanie loved kids and had a hand in raising more than just her own 5 children. If you listen close you can still hear kids saying “I wanna go to Aunt Jeanie’s” as she always made it fun and exciting when they were around, the more the merrier which created a unbreakable bond between the kids in addition to wonderful and great memories of their “Aunt Jeanie”
Jeanie worked as a custodian for Weiser School District for 28 years until her retirement. She was a hard worker and took pride in her work by leaving each and every room, hallway, and bathroom “shining” as much as they possibly could. She also took the same type of pride when it came to her yard and garden. One year she even won an award for Weiser’s “Yard of the Month” where she and her yard were featured in an article that was published in the community.
When time allowed, she loved to travel and experience new places, but you could always count on her stopping at a yard sale or two along the way, the car was always fuller coming home than it was when it left the driveway on the adventure. Her hobbies were reading, crocheting, sewing, and riding her bike, but her passion was to spend as much time as she could with her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids.
Emma is survived by her five children George (Carla) Kautz of Parma, Janice Kautz of Boise, Karl (Lorraine) Kautz of Meridian, Taunya (Lee) Fitzsimonds of Middleton and Ben (Kim) Kautz of Weiser. Eleven grandchildren – Farrah (Kenny) Steiner, Callie Kautz, Kody Kautz, Alysha Kautz, Maegan Kautz, Nick (Madison) Carter, Greg Carter, Triston Kautz, Kasey Kautz, Lucy Fitzsimonds, and Ian Fitzsimonds. Eight great-grandchildren – Kamden, Kelsie, Kendra, Kaden, Krischen, Ace, Nico and Milo. She is also survived by one sister, -Lyleen Jerome of Emmett, one brother – Larry Harvey of Payette, one uncle – Lawrence Leach of California and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial services will be held April 8, 2023 at Thomason Funeral Home in Weiser at 11:00 a.m. with a Celebration of Life to follow at Sunnyside Farm & Event Center at 1:00 p.m., food and desserts will be served. We invite all to come that knew our “Jeanie” and to share your special memories of Emma Jean Harvey Kautz.
