Francis Henry Kemis 1903-1953

KEMIS, MCDERMOTT, PENN, SHEAN

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 5/17/2012 at 22:40:59

Francis H. Kemis Dies of Heart Attack
Francis H. Kemis, 49, Estherville resident and widely known district court reporter, died Monday [July 13, 1953] at 11 a.m. at Holy Family hospital here of a heart attack. He had been in the hospital for about 11 days and had been confined to the hospital for about five days in June.

Mr. Kemis at the time of his death was a court reporter for District Judge Fred M. Hudson. He moved to Spirit Lake in 1941 when he became a court reporter in the district. Prior to his coming to Spirit Lake, Mr. Kemis was a court reporter for municipal Judge Barry J. Sisk at Sioux City. He moved to Estherville in 1950.

Mr. Kemis was born July 22, 1903 in Sioux City, Iowa. He received his grade and high school education at Sioux City and Spencer where his family later moved. Following his graduation from high school he moved back to Sioux City.

He was married September 16, 1925 to Ethel McDermott at Sioux City. He worked in the livestock exchange at Sioux City among other employment. He graduated from the National Business Training school in Sioux City and later went to night school to learn shorthand. He became a certified shorthand reporter in 1931.

As a court reporter for Judge Hudson, Mr. Kemis traveled widely and was well known in the eight counties of the 14th Judicial district. He recently joined the Isaik Walton league here and was a member of the Catholic church. He also is past president and secretary of the Iowa Shorthand Reporters’ association.

For the past four years he was editor of the National Shorthand Reporter official organ of National Shorthand Reporters’ association.

Mr. Kemis’ first wife was killed in an automobile accident in March of 1948 and he was married November 18, 1949 to Ruth Penn of Estherville.

He is preceded in death by his father of Spencer, a brother Ralph of Spencer and his first wife.

He is survived by his wife and two-year-old son, James R.; a daughter by his first marriage, Mrs. Frank R. Shean of New York City; a grandson Timothy Shean, 2; and a granddaughter, Wendy Anne Shean, 2 months. He is also survived by a brother, Thomas Kemis of Sioux City; a sister, Helen Kemis of Long Beach, Calif., his mother, Mrs. Edith Kemis of Spencer and one nephew, Robert Kemis of Sioux City.

Funeral mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Catholic church here Thursday at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Gerald Laroach M.S. of Grand Isle, La., officiating. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, July 14, 1953)