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TINTAH, Minn. — Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Jan. 12, to celebrate the life of Timothy Kath, a member of the Tintah volunteer fire department who died Dec. 31 at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo after contracting the coronavirus.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has classified his death as a "line of duty" death, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff on Wednesday in Kath's honor.
All Minnesota and North Dakota firefighters have been invited to support Kath's family and to attend Wednesday's funeral, slated for 10:30 a.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Lidgerwood, North Dakota.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to benefit Kath’s wife, Erin, and 10 children at: https://gofund.me/d3b317a9 . Kath and his wife were married for 20 years, and their children range in age from 19 years old to 6 months.
Kath, who was 42, grew up on a farm with his parents and an older brother, according to his obituary. He attended school in Campbell-Tintah and graduated from high school in 1998.
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At the time of his death, Kath worked as a salesman for a seed farm and also operated his own farm. He served on the Tintah Fire Department for 16.5 years, according to the department's Facebook page.
"Firefighter Kath was a dedicated firefighter who was respected by his family, friends, and colleagues,” Walz's proclamation states. “With its deepest gratitude, the State of Minnesota recognizes Firefighter Kath for his dedicated service to, and sacrifice for, his fellow Minnesotans, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and community.”
Tintah is a small town in Traverse County, about 70 miles southeast of Fargo.
