Lynn (Rudd) Stirling

On March 3, Lynn (Rudd) Stirling made her final “last call.” After a lifetime spent remembering favorite orders and making every guest feel welcome, she finished her final shift surrounded by family and friends.

Known by many as half of “the twins” and as the longtime manager of Katzenjammers Restaurant in Leavenworth, Lynn was fun-loving and lit up every room she entered.

Lynn was born April 11, 1950, in Charleston, South Carolina, to Patricia and Harold. She was the oldest of her siblings-by just 16 minutes — sharing a lifelong, unbreakable bond with her twin sister, Annie. In 1964, her family moved to Aberdeen, Washington, where she graduated from Aberdeen High School in 1968.

That same year she married Keith, and together they had three children: Christiaan, Jessica, and Jens. Lynn endured the heartbreaking loss of her first son, Christiaan, who died in a car accident at just 10 months old. The family later moved to Leavenworth. After she and Keith divorced, Lynn married Bob Stirling, and they welcomed her youngest child, Laura and then they divorced.

In 1973, Lynn began working at Katzenjammers Restaurant, where she spent the next 35 years building a career she was deeply proud of. She took great pride in her work, cultivating a close-knit staff and holding high standards for service.

Lynn passed away on the same day as her nephew Jim did 5 years prior, and the family finds comfort in knowing he was there to welcome her with open arms — along with her son Christiaan, her mother Patricia, her father Harold, her nephew Christopher, and many other family members and friends.

Lynn is survived by her siblings Annie (Michael) Horey, David Rudd, Linda (Dave) Wentworth, Chuck (Jeanette) Moyer, and Heidi (Steve) Bailey; her children Jessica, Jens, and Laura; and her beloved grandchildren Mikhail, Mary, Jesse, Jordyn, Jens II, Kristen, Tallie, and Macy, along with many nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mountain Meadows Employee Appreciation Committee in Lynn’s honor. The family would like to recognize the amazing doctors at Confluence and Cascade Medical Center as well as the hardworking caregivers and staff at Mountain Meadows, and Mary from the hospice team that treated Lynn with honor and dignity in her final days. If you find yourself sharing a meal or a laugh with friends, raise a glass in her memory — for a woman who spent her life making others feel welcome at the table.