Memorial Ceremony for LSC Art Prof & Son

Student said they were 10-weeks into art course led by Ramsland when tragedy struck

DULUTH, Minn. – This afternoon community members gathered at Lake Superior College to celebrate the life of an art professor and her son.

Kathryn Ramsland, also known as “Kat” and her son Oliver Nephew were two of the victims in a murder-suicide that shook the West Duluth neighborhood last week. The long-time art professor was a cornerstone of the college’s art department according to her collogues.

While cameras were not allowed during today’s memorial service, we were able to speak with members of the LSC community about the impact this loss will have on them.

“What the world is going to miss about Kat is she is a force to be reckoned with,” said Wendell Greene, one of Ramsland’s graphic design students. “She could turn (students) into works of art just by making them believe that they are capable of being works of art.”

Patricia Rogers has been the President of LSC since 2019, said Kat was one of the first people to welcome her to the college, and they conversed about their shared love of the arts. “She touched so many lives in so many different ways. It was more than just a faculty member teaching art. She was very involved with her students, very much focused on their well-being,” Rogers said.

LSC officials said they have made resources available to students and staff as the community works through the grieving process.