Marian (Knepper) Kearney 1925-2008

LEYTEM, KNEPPER, GERNES, WHEELER, KIRKWOOD, KEARNEY, BEAMAN, PILLARD, WILLENBRING, TREANOR, HAMPTON, NEVILLE, DODEN, KINTZLE, MCCABE, OYEN, MCDERMOTT, NEVILLE, DODEN, HEALY

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 3/20/2008 at 09:05:32

Marian Kearney

Marian (Knepper) Kearney, 82, of 10611 Key West Drive, died Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, at home.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Church, Key West, with the Rev. Donald Bakewell officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Cascade, Iowa. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road, where there will be a wake service at 3 p.m.

She was born on Sept. 22, 1925, the daughter of Joseph and Mae (Leytem) Knepper. She married Donald Kearney on May 30, 1944, at St. Mary's Church in Cascade.

She graduated from St. Mary's High School in Cascade in 1942, at the age of 16.

Together Marian and Donald raised thirteen children and enjoyed 63 years of marriage together. Marian enjoyed the love of her husband, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchild and her many relatives and friends. Marian especially enjoyed the time with her many grandchildren and baking them cookies. She will be missed by all who loved her.

Marian was very devoted to her Catholic faith, She was a member of St. Joseph Key West Church where she served on the prayer group.

She was a department store manager at Sears for 23 years.

Surviving is her husband, Donald; her 13 children, Allan (Vickie) Kearney, of Bellevue, Linda Gernes, of Des Moines, Jan (Ron) Wheeler, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Colleen Kirkwood and Donna Beaman, both of Des Moines, Sheila (Joe) Pillard, of Dubuque, Mary Beth (Pat) Willenbring, of Epworth, Iowa, Sherri (Rick) Treanor, of Dubuque, Kevin (Lisa) Kearney, of Waukee, Iowa, Joyce (fiance, Chuck Pastene) Hampton, of Rock Hill, S.C., Joe Kearney, of Dubuque, Terry (Angie) Kearney, of Hudson, Wis., and Jeff (Karla) Kearney, of Andover, Minn.; 32 grandchildren; six step grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild; two sisters, Josephine Neville, and Odelia Doden; a brother, Norbert (Mary Lou) Knepper; and in-laws, Coletta (Carl) Kintzle, Virginia (Cletus) McCabe and Maureen Knepper.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, sisters and in-laws, Frances and Laura Belle Knepper, Cyril Knepper, Arnold Knepper, Monica (Chet) Oyen, Hilda and LeRoy McDermott, Ambrose and Harriet Knepper, Harry Neville, Vernon Doden, Louis Knepper, Joseph and Pauline Kearney, Clarence and Catherine Kearney, Wilfred and Mildren Kearney, and Cecilia and Joe Healy; a son-in-law, Fred Gernes; a grandson-in-law, Carson "Blane" Anderson; and great-grandson Taylor Kueter.

The family wishes to thank Key West Fire & EMS and the Sheriffs Department for all the kindness they gave to Marian and her family.

Copyright (c) Woodward Communications, Inc. 2008, All Rights Reserved. Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Friday, February 8, 2008