Kearney, Wathena 1873-1960

KEARNEY, RAFFETY, WHITFORD, NORRIS

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 10/5/2012 at 09:16:23

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register; May 12, 1960

FUNERAL SERVICES
WEDNESDAY FOR
WATHENA KEARNEY

Mrs. Wathena Kearney, 88, of Grinnell, died this morning (Monday) at a local hospital.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday from the Smith Funeral Home. Interment will be in Hazelwood cemetery.

She was the daughter of William P. and Jane Raffety, and was born near Hopkins, Mo., December 2, 1873. In the fall of 1877 her father brought the family to reside in Westfield neighborhood near Grinnell. She spent her girlhood in that vicinity, attending the rural schools and later Grinnell high school from which she was graduated in 1893. She had a year of special training at Teachers College at Cedar Falls.

Early in life she joined the Baptist church and remained a member through the years. She taught school in the vicinity of Grinnell before her marriage to W.S. Kearney of Cascade on June 1, 1899, in Grinnell.

They were the parents of a son, Wilfred, and a daughter, Darlene. The daughter died in infancy.

In March, 1913, the family came to Grinnell where Mr. Kearney continued his business interests until failing health forced him to retire. He preceded his wife in death Sept. 1, 1944.

Also preceding her in death were her parents, two brothers, three sisters, and her daughter.

Survivors include her son Wilfred; his wife, Louise; a grandson, William; a niece Mrs. A.J. Whitford; a nephew, Wendell Norris; and several other nieces and nephews on her husband's side of the family.