Grace M McKenna

MCKENNA, STARK, HARRINGTON, SALTOU, LIVINGSTON

Posted By: Diana Henry Diedrich (email)
Date: 5/20/2007 at 15:12:05

OSAGE - Grace Mary McKenna, 86, of Osage, passed away on Thursday (May 10, 2007) at the Muse-Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, May 14, at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage with Pastor Gary Gilbert officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in Riceville.

The family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at the funeral home.

The daughter of Arthur and Oril (Harrington) McKenna, Grace was born April 8, 1921, on the family farm near David, Iowa. She attended David School and graduated from Riceville High School in 1938. She began her teaching career in country rural schools, teaching for 16 years in the Stone School where her mother also taught. She received her associates degree from Mason City Junior College in 1957 and her bachelor of arts degree from Upper Iowa University in 1962. After closing of the rural country schools, Grace taught in the Riceville Elementary School and then in the Osage Elementary School, retiring in 1983.

Grace professed her faith in Jesus at the David Church in 1940 and was baptized by immersion at the Baptist Church in Riceville. Grace was a life-long member of the David Community Church and served as the church pianist for over 60 years.

Grace was a member of the Osage Wa Tan Yee Club, the Cedar Valley Retired Teacher's Association, Alpha Delta Kappa, David Ladies Aide and the Ann Judson Circle.

Grace and her mother moved from the family farm to Osage in 1951. Grace helped care for her mother for many years. She enjoyed her nieces, nephews, grandnieces and nephews, and great-grandnieces and nephews. She was the 'family photographer' and took many pictures. Grace enjoyed bowling and bowled for several years. She also enjoyed traveling and went on numerous trips. Besides visiting most of the continental United States, she also traveled to Hawaii, Alaska, Canada and Europe.

Survivors include her brother, Floyd McKenna and his wife, Lillian, of Osage; nieces, Ruth (Roger) Stark of Osage, and Dorothy (Jim) Saltou of Waukon; nephews, Allen (Margaret) McKenna, of Riceville, and Glen (Bonnie) McKenna of Chester; and many grand and great-grand nieces and nephews.

Grace was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Oril McKenna, and by her grandniece, Lori (McKenna) Livingston
Mason City Globe-Gazette Internet Addition, May 12, 2007