Katherine Rebecca (Lemmon) Guins (August 29, 1918-May 6, 2014) became a lifelong civil rights, and peace and social justice activist starting in the late 1950s. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1918, she was raised in Oberlin, Ohio and graduated from Oberlin High School in 1936. Katherine Guins attended the University of Michigan for a semester and art school at Cleveland School of Art. She married Sergei George Guins in 1939. In Baltimore, she was active in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and became involved with the Black Panther movement. During the Vietnam War, she focused on the peace movement, while continuing her concern for socioeconomic justice. She moved from Baltimore to Okemos, Michigan when her husband started a teaching job in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University. She continued her work with WILPF and began working with the Lansing Area Peace Council (precursor to the Peace Education Center). The Guins moved to Brazil for a year, then to Pueblo, Colorado. In 1980, they returned to Okemos. Katherine received two lifetime peacemaker achievements through the Peace Education Center. Katherine Guins was also a master gardener and oversaw the gardens and greenhouse at the Urban Options Energy House (precursor to Michigan Energy Options). In addition, she supported local theatre as well as other local organizations.