Kennedy, Cecil J. 1913-2002

KENNEDY, BANKS, ORBAN

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 3/18/2009 at 13:33:54

LE MARS, Iowa -- Cecil J. Kennedy, 88, of Le Mars died Friday, May 3, 2002, at Plymouth Manor Care Center in Le Mars following a lengthy illness.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church with his nephew, the Rev. Charles Gard of Los Angeles, Calif., and the Rev. Andrew Hoffman of St. Joseph's Catholic Church officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Le Mars, with military honors conducted by American Legion Wasmar Post 241. Visitation will be after 2 p.m. today, with a rosary at 4 p.m., a scriptural wake service at 7 p.m., a Knights of Columbus rosary at 8 p.m., followed by a 4th Degree Knights of Columbus wake service, all at Feuerstein Funeral Home in Le Mars.

Mr. Kennedy was born Sept. 25, 1913, in Stanton Township, Plymouth County, Iowa, the son of Eugene and Lillian (Banks) Kennedy. He grew up near Merrill, Iowa, and attended a one-room schoolhouse until he was a fourth-grader. He then went to St. Joseph's Catholic School in Le Mars, graduating in 1931.

He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was stationed in England and France. He married Loretta Orban on Jan. 29, 1947, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Le Mars. Following their marriage, they farmed for 29 years west of Le Mars. In April 1976 they moved into Le Mars. He then served for eight years as the Plymouth County Clerk of Courts. He had also worked with Wally Luedtke for many years at Luedtke Funeral Home in Le Mars. He also worked for Feuerstein Funeral Home for several years.

He was an active member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, where he served as a lector, Eucharistic minister and on various boards. He was an Honorary Life Member of the Knights of Columbus, Trinity Council 1466 of Le Mars, and was a Past Grand Knight. He also served as a District Deputy for four years with the Knights of Columbus and was a member of the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, Garrigan Assembly in Sioux City. He was a member for more than 50 years of American Legion Wasmar Post 241, and a longtime member of the Le Mars Rotary Club and had received the Paul Harris Award. He had been a member of the Plymouth County A.S.C. for 15 years and was chairman of the committee for nine years.

Survivors include his wife; a daughter and her husband, Kathleen and Boyd West of Omaha, Neb.; four grandchildren, Paul West and his wife, Courtney, Patrick West, Anne West and Alan West, all of Omaha; a brother and his wife, Eugene and Dorothy Kennedy of Melrose, Iowa; two sisters, Elaine Tolan of Omaha, and Mary Myers and her husband, Ralph of Sioux City; and a sister-in-law, Elaine Kennedy of Le Mars.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, James Kennedy; and a sister, Helen Halaszyn.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal
~Part of the Darrell E. Obituary Collection