Marion Keeney
1934 - 2016
Obituary
At age 81, Marion Kathryn Keeney of
Newton, KS died Tuesday (February 16, 2016). Marion was born to
Kathryn Echard Keeney and William Leroy Keeney on March 31, 1934, in
Orient, Pennsylvania, in coal mining country.
Marion's family was part of a Quaker
community project, which laid a strong foundation for her pacifist
and social justice beliefs. She earned an undergraduate degree in
History at Bluffton College (Bluffton, Ohio) and a Master's Degree in
Religious Education at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries
(Elkhart, Indiana).
Marion met Vern Preheim while they were
at seminary. Their common beliefs in equality for all, women's
rights, peace and social change, led to a marriage which lasted for
38 years. They raised five children together and spent most of their
married life first in Akron, Pennsylvania and then in Newton, Kansas.
Marion's passion for education,
religion and service led her to work abroad with Mennonite Central
Committee in Algeria and Zaire, to publish a book called "Overseas
Service Manual," and to write journalistically for various
Mennonite news publications, including contributing regularly to
"Rejoice!", a Mennonite publication of daily devotional
readings. She also did research about mental illness for genetic
studies and opened a Head Start program at Akron Mennonite Church.
Marion was very gifted with words. She
loved words - both spoken and written. Most of her day was filled
with words, whether that be sitting around talking with people,
playing a game of Scrabble, cherishing the book of the week she was
reading, or writing a descriptive story about someone she admired.
She wrote a book of stories to use
during the children's story time at church and articles about people
for the Newton Kansan. She wrote letters to her loved ones and even
wrote notes about her life in the margins of the Sunday morning
bulletin so she could share her life happenings with her family when
they called. She enjoyed sewing, painting, knitting and cooking. She
self-published a cook booklet of recipes that she loved and had
perfected.
Marion was exceptionally bright, with a
keen intelligence and academic gifts. As she grew older, dementia led
to memory loss but not the loss of the sparkle in her eye when she
was with her children. For the last eight years of her life she
received attentive care from the staff at Peabody Health and Rehab in
Peabody, Kansas, for which her family is deeply grateful. Though her
illness destroyed her key capabilities, those who knew her in her
life's final chapter were struck by her radiant smile.
Marion Keeney is preceded in death by
her parents, Kathryn Echard Keeney and William Leroy Keeney, and her
sisters Betty Keeney Hill and Eleanor Keeney Myers, and her brother
William (Willadene) Keeney.
She will be dearly missed by her
sisters Joan Keeney Ritchie of Riddle, Indiana and Martha Keeney
(Jim) Thorpe of Hagerstown, Maryland; and her children Brian (Janis)
Preheim of Ephrata Pennsylvania, Beth Preheim (Michael Sprong) of
Yankton, South Dakota, Jay Preheim of Newton, Kansas, Lorie Preheim
of Washington, DC, and Jan Preheim of Brookline, Massachusetts. She
will also be missed by her grandchildren Mathew Preheim, Tumaini
Preheim Pwelle, Steven Preheim Bartel, Laura Preheim Bartel, Aaron
Preheim Bartel, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held March
19, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. at Grand Central, 122 E. 6th Street, Newton,
Kansas 67114.
Contributions in her memory may be made
in service of any of the causes above or the Bluffton University
Keeney Peace Lectureship ( www.bluffton.edu ) which was established
in 1978 by the family of William Sr. and Kathryn Keeney to express
appreciation for Bluffton's influence and to strengthen the
continuing peace witness among the community.
Condolences may be left at
www.petersenfamilyfuneralhome.com
