Former Hastings resident, Patty R. (Schoonover) Kenney-Hamilton, 81, passed away Friday, Aug. 20, 2010, at Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha, Neb., after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Burial Office will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 27 at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Pro-Cathedral, Hastings, with the Rev. Richard Moon officiating. Committal will be in All Soul’s Chapel, Saint Mark’s Pro-Cathedral, Hastings. There will be no visitation.
A memorial service will be held at the Immanuel Village Chapel in Omaha, Neb., with the date to be announced. Memorials may be given to the Nebraska Children’s Home Society. Livingston-Butler-Volland Funeral Home and Cremation Center is in charge of arrangements.
Patty was born on Nov. 9, 1928, in Aurora, Neb., to Harold and LaVerne Schoonover. Her father owned the Mazda Movie Theatre, and Patty grew up with silent movies, the smell of popcorn, and traveling with her dad from town to town handing out movie posters. During her high school years she worked at the family business. Mother sold tickets to the movies, Patty ushered while her brother Jimmie Charles (JC) sold popcorn and candy.
After high school, she left Aurora to attend Doane College in Crete, Neb. While there, she was initiated into the Phi Sigma Tau sorority, earned her associate degree in teaching, and met and fell in love with James W. Kenney. They were married in Aurora and moved to Utica to teach school.
After several years they moved to Iowa City so Jim could attend graduate school in hospital administration. After completing his degree, Jim landed a job as the assistant administrator of Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings. They moved to the “little house” on West 5th Street and started a family by adopting their son Tom from the Nebraska Children’s Home. Several years later, Jim became the administrator of Mary Lanning and they moved into the house at 922 North Kansas. They completed their family by adopting their daughter Sara.
Patty was active volunteering at the hospital, enjoying friends in the neighborhood, and socializing at Lochland Country Club with the Birthday Club. She was a charter member and past president of PEO Chapter GK, and active at the PEO Home in Beatrice.
During the 1970s, Patty worked for the Hastings Public School system then at the City National Bank. When she and Jim retired, they spent their time with their grandchildren, traveling and enjoying their condo in Estes Park.
