William Kenneth Kemp Sr. 1925 - 2006

KEMP, SCHMITZ, FRANCIS, STARR, MCCANN, NELSON

Posted By: debbie (email)
Date: 11/30/2006 at 14:30:35

The Burlington Hawkeye, Thursday, November 30, 2006

William Kenneth Kemp Sr.

William Kenneth Kemp, Sr., 81 years, of Denmark, Iowa, died at 2:00 am Sunday, November 26, 2006 at Fort Madison Community Hospital, Fort Madison, Iowa. William had Parkinson's for the past 9 years.

He was born January 22, 1925 at Burlington, Iowa to Richard Kemp (deceased) and Minnie (Schmitz) Kemp (deceased).

He was formerly married to Mary Ellen Francis. They divorced. He married Dorothy Jeanne Starr. She survives. The couple celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on October 29, 2006. They moved to Kingman, Arizona in 1969.

William retired from Ford Motor Company Proving Grounds at Yucca Arizona. He and Dorothy moved back to Iowa in 1993. William enjoyed woodworking over the years, music, reading, and playing pinochle. As his Parkinson's progressed, reading became even more important to him as well as the television.

He was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Fort Madison, the Denmark Senior Citizen's, and the Passport Club. He was a former member of the Mohave County Arizona Sheriff's Jeep Posse and a member and usher for St. Mary's Catholic Church in Kingman, Arizona.

In addition to his wife Dorothy, he is survived by: Four sons, William (wife Candi) Kemp Jr., of Letts, Iowa; Patrick (wife Carol) Kemp, of Burlington, Iowa; Michael (wife Linda) Kemp, of Galesburg, Illinois; John Kemp, of Hillsboro, Iowa; two daughters, Deborah McCann, of Burlington, Iowa; and Rebecca Nelson, of Burlington, Iowa.

He also has three step–children, Debora (husband Michael) Casson, of Cottonwood, Arizona; Monica Kemp, of Bullhead City, Arizona; and Gary Martin, of Burr Ridge, Illinois. He has one godchild, Echo Nicole Blum, of Kingman, Arizona. There are 21 grandchildren and 14 great–grandchildren. One brother, Robert A. (wife Dixie) Kemp, of Burlington, Iowa also survives. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, James.

Friends may call from 1:00 to 7:00 pm Sunday, December 3, 2006 at the Barr Memorial Chapel, Fort Madison. The family will be present for a rosary which will be recited at 3:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon at the funeral home.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, December 4, 2006 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Fort Madison, with Reverend Thomas Parlette and Reverend Timothy Sheedy as Celebrants. Friends are invited to join the family for lunch at Roling Hall after the Mass. Burial will be held following the lunch at approximately 1:30 p.m. at the Denmark Cemetery, Denmark, Iowa.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and/or to the Parkinson's Foundation. Contributions may be made at the Barr Memorial Chapel, or on the day of the service at church.

Online condolences to the Kemp family may be made at the Barr Memorial Chapel website: www.barrmemorialchapel.com.