Betty J. Kennel

We are here today to celebrate the life of Betty Jean (Schweitzer) Kennel. She was born near Carleton, Nebraska on October 29, 1927 to Lloyd and Katie (Springer) Schweitzer. She went to her heavenly home on November 2, 2013. She was raised on a farm in the Carleton area. She was the fourth child of sixteen children. Betty was baptized October 1940 at the Salem Mennonite Church. Betty was married on April 25, 1946 to Wayne Kennel. Betty stood beside Wayne for 67 years always helping her husband and ensuring her family was healthy both physically and spiritually. Wayne and Betty farmed in the Strang area. It was on the family farm they raised their three children, Lonnie, Victoria and Victor. She was an active member of the Salem Mennonite Church. She and Wayne served twelve (12) years as co-chairpersons of the breakfast committee for the Mennonite Central Committee sale. She was so proud of her first job, working with her son, Victor, in his therapy clinics. Retiring in 1988, the couple moved to Geneva. Betty’s greatest pleasure was her family. If you speak to any grandchild, I’m sure they will tell you they were her favorite. She had a unique ability to make each child feel as if they were the only one in the world. As her family grew, she accepted the new members with open arms. She taught her children the virtues of perseverance, honesty, faith, patience, tolerance, love and humility. She had an unending love for Christ and shared her faith with everyone; teaching each of us how to be a better person. If you listen carefully, you will hear Lonnie say, “I am so grateful Mother taught me how to see other as Christ sees them and try to love them as Christ loves them.” Victor can be heard saying “Mother taught me to accept others for who they were and love them each as a child of God.” Victoria says, “Mother taught me how to be a good mother, wife, friend, and most of all a grandmother. I want to be a grandmother just like her because all the grandchildren adored her.” Betty enjoyed quilting, sewing, cooking, reading, and talking on the telephone. The family gatherings always included her famous noodles, mashed potatoes and custard pies. Every grandchild wanted the last noodle or scoop of potatoes! Last Thanksgiving she sat in her chair and taught her granddaughters how to make her donuts. Because one of her greatest joys was quilting; she tried to teach Vicki to quilt, but the lesson did not quite take! Each of us has been touched by the love and gentle kindness of Betty. Her grandchildren pay tribute to her gift of life to them in their own words: “Grandma’s gifts to me are what she taught me. She taught me to be a good mother, a good wife, a woman of faith and family. She did these things by example and it is what I always admired about her. This is why so many people loved her. Oh and noodles!” “Her greatest gift would have been love, she always loved, and I was never scared with her, she gave me comfort, she would listen, she would advise, and she would accept. Her physical gifts, monster cookies, and noodles! Yes!” “I just love her and think she is amazing” “She gave me an example of exactly what a mother and grandmother should be.” “Grandma, you taught me how to live, you are so important to me. I love you so much.” “You’re the best grandma anyone could have.” “Family gatherings will never be the same. Grandma and grandpa are our king and queen of the family. What a beautiful loving family they have created. Their love will always be a legacy. I hear Grandma saying, “Well sure” and giving a big hug. Although we never had an official pie making lesson, I have seen her do it a hundred times and I will make pies at a least every Thanksgiving in honor of her. I will never eat pie again without thinking of her wonderful pies that were made with love and best of all served up with love. Pie represents to me the ultimate perfect wife, mom and grandma.” “My grandma always has and always will have a special place in my heart. I’ve received so many gifts from her that it’s impossible to put them into words. She’s given me the gift of joy, and the gift of her smile. She’s given me the gift of comfort, and her warm embrace. She’s given me the gift of family, and unconditional love. She’s given me courage, and given me pride. She’s taught me the meaning of humbleness, and also of selflessness. She’s taught me modesty, and she’s taught me love. Her boundless gifts are plentiful and will be passed on to others. I will always remember you, grandma. I love you, and thank you for giving us all the gift of “you”." She would want us to remember her favorite verses -- John 14: 1-3: 1Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also. As we leave here today, each of us will keep our treasured memories of our wife, our mother, our grandmother, our sister, our friend, in that special place in our hearts and minds. The greatest tribute a parent can have is to be loved, respected, and honored by their children and family. It was through her untiring teachings and unconditional love that taught us to provide for our families, love one another, and most importantly to have faith in God. We celebrate her life. Betty Jean (Schweitzer) Kennel has provided us a road map for our future and will be greatly missed. Visitation will be Monday, November 4, 2013 from 1:00 and 8:00 PM at the Farmer & Son Funeral Home. Family will greet friends from 5:00 until 7:00. Funeral services will be 10:30 am, Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at the Salem Mennonite Church, Shickley, Nebraska. Graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Geneva Public Cemetery following a fellowship luncheon. The family requests that memorials be made to the Women’s Circle of the Salem Mennonite Church or the Salem Mennonite Building Fund

Tributes

Betty J. Kennel

October 29, 1927 - November 2, 2013