Katie Lynn Tonks

Our beloved daughter Katie Lynn Tonks, of Pocatello, passed away Friday, August 30, 2013, due to epilepsy related brain trauma. After many years struggling with this terrible disease, she is finally free. Katie was born on July 24, 1989, in Pocatello, Idaho, to loving parents, John and Marjolein Tonks. She attended Tendoy Elementary School in her youth walking to and from school each day. She attended Alameda Junior High for one year and Franklin Junior High for the following two years. One of the highlights of her life was attending and graduating from Pocatello High School in 2007. She remembers with fondness the many loving and understanding teachers and staff there. When she was a sophomore at Poky Katie and both her sisters were students there. It was a wonderful and happy time. She was also very proud of being a four year LDS seminary graduate. Her first year of college Katie and her sister Rachel attended exactly the same courses at Idaho State University. Rachel and Katie were inseparable during this school year. It was a happy time for her. Following this year she has continued her education by taking Independent course work from Brigham Young University. In particular, she enjoyed her Book of Mormon courses. She had a strong love of learning and loved reading her scriptures daily. Katie loved text messaging, watching movies on her laptop and talking on the telephone. She also enjoyed watching episodes of Psych weekly with her brother Matthew. Each week she would help her father take care of the yard work taking special care to make sure everything looked just right. Katie was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She was a strong, faithful member of the church and through her trials was able to grow close to her Heavenly Father. She was able to endure the physical pain of epilepsy without complaining and had unbelievable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. She loved her Heavenly Father and very much wanted to return and live with him again. Katie deeply loved her family and enjoyed spending time with them. She also enjoyed baking, shopping, watching Disney movies, swimming at Bear Lake, and will always be remembered as someone who always had a listening ear. She is survived by her parents, John and Marjolein; her Oma, Cornelia Kalkman; brothers Michael (Stacie), Jason (Jennifer), Matthew (Brittnee), sisters Emily and Rachel; nephews Willem and Weston; nieces Megan and Mikaela. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Loel and Mary Tonks, her Opa, Willem Kalkman; uncles Daniel Tonks and Bill Blankenbehler; aunt Kathleen Combs; cousin Carianne Blankenbehler. She is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Katie is our celestial angel and will always be remembered for her big heart, beautiful smile, and love of others. She was a great example of how we all should live. The family will receive friends from 6:00 -7:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 3 at the Colonial Funeral Home, 2005 S Fourth Ave., and from 10:00-10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, September 4 at the Alameda Stake Center, 930 E. Alameda. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 4 th . Interment will be in the Mountain View Cemetery. The family gives special thanks to the City of Pocatello emergency responders and the staff of Portneuf Medical Center's intensive care unit for their loving care of our Katie