Katherine Ann Wendland

Katherine Ann Wendland was born August 30, 1984, in Portland, Ore. to Stanley E. Wendland and Leatha Ann Wendland. She was raised in the Portland area, and graduated from Centennial High School in 2002.

While in high school, Katie worked at Rays Food Place during the summers. She also worked briefly at Sisters Depot, a small café in Sisters, Ore. prior to moving to Japan.

Following high school, Katie pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Religious Studies; and graduating as class president, from Prairie College, in Alberta, Canada in 2006.

Katie was an avid reader, voraciously consuming volume upon volume. In 2022, she read 166 books, totaling 38,583 pages. She hosted a book club out of her home in Japan; and enjoyed sending and receiving mail.

Katie would bring energy into any room she entered. She brought people together, loved playing games, and would introduce new games to family and friends when she would visit. She also loved the Lord, and had been an active member of Gateway Baptist Church while living in Portland.

Katie was a world traveler. She had visited 32 countries, on four out of seven continents. She returned to visit the States twice a year to spend time with friends, family, and colleagues with whom she worked at MeySen Academy. Katie loved being a teacher in Japan, and devoted herself to her students.

Katie passed away on May 10, 2023, in Japan with loving family at her side. She will be remembered as a loving daughter, sister, cousin, and friend. She lived her life in a selfless manner, giving to others through everything she did. She will be forever cherished, and her memory, eternal.