Born in Carthage, Mo. on December 4, 1955, she was a graduate of the Carthage R-9 system. Kitty received her BS from MSSC in Joplin, where she was named Outstanding Senior in Elementary Education. After graduation, she taught grades kindergarten through nine in Diamond, Broken Arrow (Okla.), Tulsa and Carthage. For the past several years, she taught sixth grade at Steadley Elementary in Carthage, and was selected as a STARR teacher for the State of Missouri for the 2001-2002 term. She was a member of the Missouri State Teachers Association, as well as numerous honorary and educational sororities, including Beta Sigma Phi, Phi Kappa Phi and Delta Kappa Gamma. In 1999, while battling breast cancer, she received her master's degree in education from Pittsburg State University.

Kitty was married to Ted Estes of Carthage on May 28, 1977, and gave birth to twin sons, Marshall and Theo on October 26, 1986. A member of Grace Episcopal Church, she was active in many community religious events, including directing the choir and the bell choir for her parish, leading a youth mission trip to France, and presenting an inspirational musical meditation on her cancer journey at many area congregations. She was a gifted teacher and devoted Christian who used her powerful soprano voice to help others struggling with cancer.

Kitty is survived by her husband and sons, her grandmother, Morine Marshall, father, Lee Grimes, step-grandmother, Wilma Grimes, and aunt, Marsha Delaney, all of Carthage, as well as her mother and stepfather, Docia and Paul McCloud of Tulsa, a brother, Mark Grimes of Hawaii, a sister, Kari Long of Colorado, and friends too numerous to count.

Memorial services will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24, at a community service at the Carthage High School Auditorium, followed by a religious service at the Grace Episcopal Church (Chestnut and Howard) at 6:00 p.m. Father Steve Wilson will officiate. A family visitation will be held immediately following the religious service in the Grace Church Parish Hall. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kitty Estes Scholarship Fund through the Carthage R-9 Foundation, 710 Lyon St., Carthage, Mo.