Kaitlyn Jean Bollin of Indianola passed away on November 11, 2023, with her parents by her side.  Kaitlyn was born on May 30, 1998 in Des Moines, Iowa.  From day 1, it was obvious she had a unique personality and outlook on the world.  She was diagnosed with Angleman Syndrome a few years later and was determined to put a smile on everyone's face that she met – she succeeded.

Kaitlyn never met a stranger and was frequently referred to as the sunshine on any and every cloudy day. She was rarely seen without her sidekick, Beans the dog on all their adventures. Kaitlyn loved to look at pictures of loved ones and was known to take candid selfies on any device she could get her hands on for others to find and enjoy later. She enjoyed watching YouTube videos, along with trying to download costly apps.  She was an expert at using video calls – calling family, friends and sometimes complete strangers.  Calls didn't last long, but the smile of seeing someone was priceless.  Kaitlyn loved spending time with family and friends at the Indianola Country Club, local eateries, and of course - the pool. Giggles could be heard for miles when she got her hands on a squirt gun, or she was able to make gigantic waves, and the "occasional" splashing.  Kaitlyn was a great admirer of food, especially bananas, donuts and the hidden cookies at the Indianola Country Club. When she wasn't a beloved socialite, she could be found chasing the cats around the house and expressed utter joy of actually catching one.  She also enjoyed spending many nights at Grandma and Grandpas' house (they also had bananas-score)!

In early 2022, Kaitlyn moved out of her parents' home and moved to Ankeny to live with a host family.  Kira, Jamaica and Ellie became family and Kaitlyn absolutely loved her time with them.  She developed and grew so much during her time with them.  It was a great situation for Kaitlyn as she could come home regularly.  In between the weekly trips home to spend a day or more, Kaitlyn kept in touch with her parents and friends through video calls – regularly blowing up their phones with countless calls.  She also had a rule of trying to call her sister and Will 30+ times a day with the strict timeline between 8am and 5pm, however, she frequently declined their returned calls outside of business hours.

Kaitlyn is preceded in death by Aunt Shelly Bollin and Grandma Kathy Meyer.  She is survived by her parents Laura and Tracy Bollin; sister Jessica Bollin (Will Wedge); grandparents, Lorena and Marlin Bollin and Don Meyer; and aunts and uncles, Susan and Steve Westra, Dan and Stephanie Meyer.  In addition, she had many cousins and great aunts and uncles.

Graveside services will be held 1:30 p.m., Friday, November 17, 2023 in the Indianola I.O.O.F. Memorial Gardens Cemetery.  Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, November 16, 2023 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola.  In lieu of flowers, memorials in memory of Kaitlyn, may be given to Kiya Koda Humane Society.