Kimberly Martin (Case) — Pine Island

Kimberly Ann Martin (Case), 54, was born Jan. 20, 1961, in San Francisco, to Ruth and Don Martin. She was the only child of Ruth Martin. Her parents divorced when Kim was young, and she was raised by her mother. She graduated from Lowell High School in 1978. She married Dennis Schultz, and moved to Minnesota in 1991. After divorcing Dennis, she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing in 1993. She married Mike Case in June 1995. Though they had no children together, she was a stepmother to Susan and Laura Case.

Kim passed on Nov. 24, 2015, at 3:15 a.m. after a lengthy and courageous struggle with a brain tumor. Her mantra during this struggle was, "No one fights alone." She was surrounded by family and friends during this time. There will be a "Celebration of Life" for her on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. at Peace United Church of Christ, 1503 Second Ave. NE, Rochester, Minn., with a luncheon, cake, coffee and beverages to follow.

Kim loved being outdoors and loved outdoor activities such as hiking, running, fishing, boating and camping. She had a love for animals and would always take in a stray dog or cat. She had several of her own and loved them all. She and Mike moved onto acreage in Pine Island, where she could enjoy her animals all the more. These included dogs, cats and horses.

Kim loved travel and photography, passions held and passed to her from her father and her mother. She traveled to places such as Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Louisiana, the Caribbean, Belize, Mexico, and other places throughout the United States. She rode on cruise lines throughout the Caribbean, Alaska and the Eastern U.S. She traveled to half of these United States.

Kim loved helping others. She showed this throughout her nursing career as well as by being a friend of Bill W., which allowed her to help those with addictions. She trained, raised money and performed the "Susan G. Komen — 3 day walk for the cure," a walk to help find a cure for breast cancer. She inspired others to do the same.

She started her nursing career at Hiawatha Homes, then went on to Mayo Clinic, where she eventually went on to get an advanced degree in Nurse Anesthesia and became a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Kim was loved by all who met her, and the last days of her life were spent visiting those she cared about and the places she loved.

She is survived by her mother Ruth Martin (Rochester), her life partner Mike Case (Pine Island), her stepdaughters Laura (Gabe) Cook, Susan (Kim) Case McHugh, her brother Dan (Sonja) Martin, a nephew Donovan and niece Grayson, her sister Tory (Roy) Klementsen, and her sister Tammy (Michael) Koenig. Her father Don preceded her in death.

The family would humbly like to honor those who attended to Kim in the past few weeks, especially those at Mayo Clinic's Hospice Care and the workers at Golden LivingCenter — Rochester West. The care given by those involved was exceptional.

We would also like to add that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Kim's honor to Mayo Hospice, Golden Living or the American Cancer Society.