Kay Frances (Harvey) Tarver

Kay Frances Tarver, age 64, of Kountze, passed away on Friday, September 5, 2025. She was born on June 23, 1961, in Houston, TX, to Howard and Sandra Harvey.

A woman whose spirit was as beautiful as the country living that she adored, Kay lived with a straightforward grace and a free spirit. She was the kind of woman who told it like it was, yet always with kindness. Her daughters will forever remember her gentle wisdom: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.”  Kay married the love of her life, Bubba, on June 4, 1977. Their bond was built on laughter, loyalty, and the kind of love that grows deeper with time. Together, they raised two daughters who were the center of Kay’s world. Every decision she made, every meal she cooked (especially her famous steak and garden-fresh vegetables—though the bread was always a little burnt), was for her family. She had a good sense of people, an ability to see through pretense and connect with sincerity. Her heart was open not just to those she knew, but to every stray dog that crossed her path. If it had fur and needed love, Kay made sure it found a home. Though she would always tell the girls to make sure their daddy was told it showed up at the house. As a proud “Mimi,” Kay poured her soul into her grandchildren, supporting them in every way possible. Kay Tarver was country through and through, not just in where she lived, but in how she lived: with simplicity, grace, and a deep love for the land and the people on it. She will be missed beyond measure, and her memory will be forever cherished.

Left to cherish her memory is her husband, G. E. “Bubba” Tarver; daughters, Cheryl House and husband, Ben, and Sharon Westerterp and husband, Jake; brother, Michael Harvey; sisters, Lynda Wilson and Cynthia Robbins and husband, Kevin; sister-in-law, Karen Bowman; grandchildren, Callie Westerterp, Corben House, and Abbie House Linn and husband, Laramie; great-grandson, Jett Bo Linn; and a host of extended family, friends, and loved ones.

Preceding Kay in death are her parents and brother, Randy Bowman.

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