Local woman has more than 97th birthday to celebrate

Aiding the establishment of Carson City’s first hospital in addition to several Dayton parks is on a lengthy list of achievements for one local woman.

Kathleen “Kay” Winters was honored as much for her 97th birthday as for her achievements at a celebration sponsored by the Historical Society of Dayton Valley on Nov. 15.

Winters has been a Nevada resident since 1941. With her late husband JohnD, she helped raise funds for Carson City’s first hospital.

In 1965 the Winters moved from their Carson residence to their Dayton ranch, the site of an old mill.

She went onto serve as Lyon County Bicentennial Chairman and a decade on the Lyon County Library Board.

While serving on Lyon County’s Park and Recreation Board, Winters helped secure a small parcel of land where U.S. 50 enters Dayton. The parcel is today known as Dayton’s “Our Park.”

Working through BLM, Winters was instrumental in obtaining land near Dayton schools for a Little League baseball park.

Through the state legislature, she advocated to secure land north of Dayton, the site of a historic mill which then became Dayton State Park.

In 2014, Winters was selected as the grand marshal for the Nevada Day Parade (in 1995 JohnD had served as its grand marshal). In the same year she was one of the dignitaries who helped cut the 1,300-pound Nevada-shaped Sesquicentennial cake.

Also on her list of achievements is service on the Advisory Board for Arts and Science for the University of Nevada, Reno from 1980 to 1990. She’s a recipient of the university’s President’s Medal and Distinguished Nevadan Award.

Winters is one of the original 123 members from a 1980s organization that morphed into the Historical Society of Dayton Valley.

At 97, she maintains an interest in helping Dayton protect, preserve and promote its historic Dayton Museum, Dayton area history, historic integrity, heritage and cultures.

Members of the historical society say they admire her never-ending vigor and wish her the best as she celebrates a milestone birthday.