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Nelle (McLeod) Kenison 1895 - 1976

KENISON, MCLEOD, WOODROW, LILLE, ANDERSON, BERL, BALDWIN, LEMASTER

Posted By: Linda H Meyers (email)
Date: 6/4/2008 at 09:39:09

Nelle McLeod Kenison was born in Moingona, Boone County, Iowa, May 22, 1895. Her parents were Isabelle Woodrow and Andrew McLeod. Her early years were spent in Moingona were she attended school later graduating from the Boone High School with the Class of 1913. She was preceded in death by her parents, several brothers and one sister.
She was united in marriage to Frank R. Kenison on July 15, 1917 at Ames, Iowa.
She was a teacher in the rural schools of Boone County and in the town of Madrid for several years. She joined the Episcopalian Church of Des Moines later transferring her membership to the Christian Church of Madrid where she taught in the Sunday School department for many years and was active in various church groups.
As a teacher Nelle recognized the need for home and school cooperation and was instrumental in the organization of the Madrid Parent-Teachers Association in 1915, serving as Secretary and President. After her marriage and the birth of her son her enthusiasm deepened. She served as Boone County Organizer, as President of Central District and in many capacities on the State Board of Manager. In 1941 she was accorded the high honor of being elected president of the Iowa Congress of Parents and Teachers. Her first message to the Iowa Members contained these works: "Leadership is always a challenge. We call upon you, the members, to hold up the hands of those whom you have chosen to lead you, and together we will go forward with faith that right will prevail." The sincerity of her works was proven over and over again through the three years of loyal service rendered the Congress by her. Through her position of State President, she was a member of the National Parent Teacher Board of Managers and served in several capacities, the last being elected President of the State President Club.
She was appointed by Governor Wilson as his representative to the 1940 White House Conference on children in a Democracy. For a number of years she was Superintendent of the Baby Health Department sponsored by Iowa Parents and Teachers of the Iowa State Fair.
Nelle was active in many organizations, including the Woman's Culb of Madrid and Des Moines, the Iowa Business and Professional women, Retired Teachers Association, Department of Public Safety as director of their state wide radio series of safety programs. She was involved in programs and projects connected with the Republican Party on both local and state levels and served as chairman of the Boone County Republican Club and was also active in the state Republican Club for Women. She was crowned Queen of the Boone County Republican group.
Nelle will be remembered as a devoted wife and mother, a loyal friend and a citizen concerned with the welfare of children and youth every where.
She is survived by her husband, Frank of Madrid, one son, Alan and daughter-in-law, Vera, two grandsons. Christopher and Montgomery, one granddaughter, Karen, and one great grandson, Sean all of Los Altos, California, also one nephew, John McLeod, of Boone, four nieces, Isabelle Lille of Lake View, Helen Anderson, Evalotte Berl of Boone and Adabelle Baldwin of Bourbon, Mo. and a cousin, Marion LeMaster of Boone and a host of friends.

---from the Madrid Register Oct. 7, 1976


 

Boone Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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