Kristine Zollinger

Kristine Zollinger, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on June 24, 2026, surrounded by the family she loved so deeply.

Born on February 20, 1947, to Henry and Amy Isaksen in Upland California, Kris was the third of 10 kids. She grew up living in various places including on the East Coast. Her father was an itinerant higher education administrator who gave Kris a taste for some of the finer things in life, an appreciation for education, strong familial instincts, and a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ that would shape her life and the lives of her progeny.

During her freshman year at Brigham Young University, Kris met her future husband Bill Zollinger, and her fate was sealed for the next 60 years. Once they were engaged, Bill took Kris to see the cattle ranch in a remote part of Southeastern Idaho where he thought they would live after graduation. She thought of herself as more of a “white linen tablecloth” girl than “a remote cattle ranch” girl, and she broke off the engagement. Bill, however, recognized what he had and agreed to pursue a more urban vocation in order to seal the deal.

On December 16, 1966, Kris and Bill were married in the Idaho Falls temple. Family was a high priority, she gave birth to their first child after moving to Oklahoma. For the next 20 years, she added another baby to her growing family every 18-24 months, bringing seven boys and three girls into the world. She would later say that, once she had four, the levels of noise and mess stayed the same, so there was no reason to stop having them.

After their time at BYU, they moved to Oklahoma so that Bill could pursue a Master’s Degree, followed by a long stint in Lincoln, Nebraska while he worked on his PhD. In 1985, they moved to Oregon, where Kris would live the rest of her life, with stays in Corvallis, Philomath, Lincoln City, and Albany. Each place they lived, they formed lasting and meaningful relationships with their friends. Zollingers will forever be fielding the question “Oh, are you related to Bill and Kris?”, followed by some funny stories and strong expressions of warm feelings.

Throughout her life, Kris sacrificed herself for her family. She created a loving home where her children were nurtured, encouraged, and taught about the gospel, the importance of education, and a few of the finer things of life. These values have seeped down to Kris’ grandkids and great grandkids.

Kris sacrificed her time, talents, and energy serving in a variety of callings and assignments beyond her own. Her primary focus became her children and church callings. In her spare time, she authored and published a book called Grandma Loves Me Best. In addition, she developed a book selling business which involved each of the children and provided financial support to their lives.

Once the kids left the house she decided to serve a mission for the Church with Bill. She had dreams of going somewhere tropical, like Tahiti, but was too selfless to indicate where she wanted to serve on her application and instead put down that she would go wherever the Church needed her. The Church sent her to …Siberia.

After dutifully serving for 24 months in a place where she was told to not even bring a jacket because no winter clothes sold in the United States are warm enough, and after spending some time with her family after her first mission, Kris decided to take another shot at serving somewhere warmer. This time, the Church sent her to Ghana—certainly warmer, but still not the dreamy beach setting she was hoping for.

After serving 9 months in Ghana, Bill and Kris settled in Albany, Oregon, where Kris spent her last years gardening, feeding the birds, visiting kids and grandkids, and serving those around her. All of her kids and many of her grandkids have heirloom-quality quilts from Kris that they will cherish forever.

Everyone who interacted with Kris will remember her strength, her devotion to family, her unwavering faith, and her willingness to speak her mind when necessary. She combined refinement with determination, kindness with conviction, and service with quiet competence. She taught by her example of a life devoted to God, family, and service. It was a very rich and meaningful life.

Kristine is survived by her devoted husband, Bill; her children, Jay, Amy, Tamra, Aaron, Stephanie, Ryan, Henry, Jacob, Caleb, and Daniel; 22 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren, as well as countless friends, neighbors, and fellow Saints whose lives were enriched by her example.

Her legacy will continue for generations. "Families are forever."