20 Mar Kay Mootz

Kay Mootz passed away on March 16, 2023, surrounded by her loving family.  

Kay was the third of four children and was born on May 1, 1936, to Ormond and Pearl Reynen in Devils Lake, ND.  She grew up and attended school in Devils Lake where she especially liked tumbling class. 

Kay met and married the love of her life Meloyd (Bud) Mootz in 1953. Kay was a devoted wife and true partner to her loving husband. They made their home in Devils Lake where they went on to have three children, Doreen, Cindy, and Sharee. Later they moved 10 miles northeast of town where they raised over 3,000 chickens and calves.  

Next, they moved to Jamestown and purchased a tire business. Bud worked the business while Kay stayed home with their three girls.  

They eventually moved to Stanton where they purchased a motel and called it Mootz’s Motel. Kay cleaned the rooms and took care of the family as well as their dog Sandy. Bud and Kay also owned and operated a trailer park with trailer sales as well as a furniture store where they also sold carpet.  

In 1970 Bud and Kay moved their family to Rugby, ND where Kay worked at Ben Franklin and later at the JC Penney store where she would soon become the store manager.  

In 1976 Bud and Kay moved back to Devils Lake where Kay continued to work as manager for JC Penney. She took pride in keeping the store neat and tidy all while ordering the latest fashions.  

In 2011 Bud and Kay moved to Bismarck to be closer to family and medical services. 

Kay was a wife, mother, grandmother, cook, housekeeper, gardener, bookkeeper and worked side by side with Bud to make all of their businesses successful.  

Kay enjoyed gardening, tending to her flowers, being outside, following politics, watching the Boston Celtics, shopping for kitchen gadgets, a good cup of coffee with a frosted sugar cookie and spending time with her family. Kay loved all dogs, especially her favorite friend, Berkley. 

Kay loved being a grandmother. She very proudly watched her grandkids become adults and start families of their own. She discovered new joy with the arrival of each new great grandchild.  

Words cannot say how much she will be missed. Kay was truly loved, and her compassionate spirit inspired all whose lives she touched. 

Kay is survived by her husband Meloyd of 70 years; her three daughters Doreen Fournier of Dallas, Oregon, Cindy (Mike) Kuntz of Washburn, ND, and Sharee (Vern) Jacobson of Bottineau, ND; seven grandchildren Nichole (Joel) Brice, Kelly (Travis) Hagen, Tracy (Derrick) Hohbein, Amy (Brandon) Nehring, Nadia Anderson, Lyndsey (David) Miller, Kirsten (Sergio) Guarin; three step grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.  

Kay is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Jerry Reynen and her sisters Cheryl Kiedrowski and Gloria Wilhelmi.