Jeanne P. Kennedy

Jeanne (Welander) Kennedy, 98, died June 24, 2022 at Monarch Greens Assisted Living. Jeanne was born October 12, 1923 on the family farm near Stillwater, Minnesota to George and Denora (Carlson) Welander. Jeanne graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul in 1945 where, in 1941 she had met Harold Kennedy. They married when he returned from overseas combat in July 1945. They had met at the college ice rink in 1941. Ice skating became a family activity for many years. In 1949 Jeanne and Harold relocated to Cincinnati and started their family, sons Charles and Raymond, daughters Diane and Carol. In Cincinnati Jeanne was a Cub Scout den mother and Camp Fire Girl leader. Jeanne and Harold joined First Unitarian Church where she was treasurer. She and Harold were founding members of Northern Hills Unitarian Fellowship in 1962. Once again, she was church treasurer and was also a typist for the newsletter. In 1976 after Harold retired from the National Labor Relations Board and the last of their children graduated from high school, she and Harold relocated to Fort Collins Colorado. There they joined Foothills Unitarian Church where, again, her church treasurer experience was called upon. For almost 30 years until Harold’s death, they enjoyed traveling across the United States visiting friends, family, and grandchildren. Their little yellow camping trailer traveled with them thousands of miles and spent countless nights in campgrounds. Once settled in Colorado, Jeanne and Harold took up snow skiing in their fifties. Her last ski trip was in 2006 at age 82 with some of her children. Jeanne also enjoyed swimming, riding her bike around their neighborhood, and hiking. Many of their trips included Elderhostel events (now Road Scholars) as both believed in continuous learning to keep kept the mind alert. Classes at Fort Collins Senior Center’s Front Range Forum and the Aspen Club saw them both. Jeanne continued these classes and outings after Harold died. She and daughter Carol enjoyed many travels after Harold died in 2005. Jeanne was a volunteer for the Friends of the Fort Collins Library, a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) for many years, and continued going to Fort Collins National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) meetings after Harold’s death. Her farm roots were on display in her large vegetable garden where she grew enough produce for canning and freezing. Jeanne grew up sewing and shared those talents with her high school 4H group and later with her daughters. She read daily local newspapers, magazines and many, many books. Jeanne enjoyed classical music. She and Harold had season tickets to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra for many years after they moved there. Before breakfast she’d turn on the radio, already tuned to a Denver classical station, and it remained on until late evening. Jeanne lived at the home she and Harold had built for their retirement until 2017 when she moved into Monarch Greens, a nearby assisted living home. Survivors include sons Charles (Kathryn), Raymond (Amy Herman), Diane Bryson (James Bryson, deceased), Carol Kennedy (David Rhodes), six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She is also survived by sister Betty Lundgren, sister-in-law Joyce Welander, and numerous nieces and nephews. Husband Harold, brothers Merle and Art Welander, son-in-law, James Bryson, and one granddaughter predeceased her. Services will be held 2 pm, Saturday, September 24 at Foothills Unitarian Church, 1815 Yorktown Ave, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Foothills Unitarian Church or a charity of your choice.

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Jeanne P. Kennedy

October 12, 1923 - June 24, 2022