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Kathy Kollars grew up on a farm near Crofton, Neb., doing things for herself.
She milked cows, drove tractors. Others teased her because she wouldn't ask for help, said her daughter, Jessica Kollars of Dallas.
“They would say, ‘That farm girl. Can't tell her what to do.'”
She did it on her own to the very end of her life.
“Instead of asking, ‘Can you get me that?' or ‘I need … ,' she would just get up and do it herself. Sweet and frustrating at the same time,” her daughter said.
Kathy L. Hennings Kollars died Sunday at her home in La Vista after a long battle with breast cancer, said her daughter. She was 54.
She taught 26 years at Papillion-La Vista High School, her daughter said, mostly psychology and Advanced Placement psychology.
“Teaching was her passion, and she did it like no other. She was a very powerful teacher. She made the classes interactive and fun. She made each individual student feel special.
“She just really connected with them.”
Many students remained in contact long after they had graduated, Jessica Kollars said.
“Retiring from teaching was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. Even in the end, she didn't want to.”
Services will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home, 5701 Center St.
Contact the writer:
444-1165, sue.truax@owh.com
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