Birth: 1927, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota Death: 7 November 2008, Eden Prairie, Hennepin County, Minnesota Burial: St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota — Section 22, Block 12, Lot 8, Grave 5
Parents:
Mathew J. Nolan (1889–1929)
Beatrice Crombie Nolan (1891–1989)
Siblings: Marion Ellen Nolan Theisen, James “Bud” Nolan, William Nolan, Rosemary “Posie” Nolan Bynell, John Matthew Nolan Sr., 2LT Patrick J. Nolan, Matthew James “Mutzie” Nolan, Joseph Patrick Nolan
Katie was part of the large, close‑knit second generation of the Minneapolis Nolans — a family marked by resilience, humor, and deep intergenerational loyalty.
Spouse:
Michael James “Jim” Jennings (1924–2019) — prominent Minnesota restaurateur
Children:
Mary
Ann
Michael (married to Cara)
Tim
Peggy Frisch (married to Scott)
Barbie Jennings Tolchiner (married to David)
She was also the sister of Matthew "Mutzie" Nolan, who predeceased her.
Katie was grandmother to eight grandchildren.
Katie spent nearly 30 years in Scottsdale, Arizona, before returning to her native Minnetonka in the final year of her life.
She was remembered as a woman of courage, humor, independence, and deep maternal devotion. Her obituary emphasizes that she believed motherhood was her greatest reward, and she approached it with warmth, strength, and a quiet fearlessness that shaped her children’s lives.
Her final years were marked by grace and bravery, leaving her family with a lasting example of resilience.
Katie’s legacy lives on through her children, grandchildren, and the extended Nolan and Jennings families. She is remembered with affection by countless nieces and nephews and by all who knew her as a warm, spirited, and loving presence.