Ralph Kennedy

Ralph C. Kennedy, age 96 of New Hampton died Monday June 7, 2010, at Mercy Medical Center, New Hampton. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 2:00 p.m. Friday, June 11, 2010, at Holy Family Parish - St. Joseph Center, New Hampton with Msgr. Carl Schmitt celebrating the Mass. The pall will be placed on the casket by his wife and children. Ed Kennedy will be the lector and the offertory gifts will be presented by granddaughters, Megan Blackwood and Katie Kennedy. Organist will be Ann Bennett. Roxanne Kennedy and Mike Carlin will be the cantors accompanying the Holy Family Resurrection Choir. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery, New Hampton with Matt Kennedy, Nathan Carney, Neil Kennedy, Kyle Kennedy, Chris Carney and Bill Nabak as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Larry Kennedy, Bob Galligan, Pat Galligan, Tim Galligan, Jim Nabak, Tom Nabak, Ken Nabak, Bob Nabak and Patty Doll. Full military honors will be conducted by the New Hampton American Legion Post #38 & the New Hampton VFW Post #5238. Visitation will be 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday at Hugeback and Chenoweth Funeral Home, New Hampton where there will be a 4:00 p.m. Knights of Columbus Rosary and a 7:00 p.m. Parish Scripture Service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass at church on Friday. Ralph C. Kennedy was born March 4, 1914, in New Hampton, IA, the son of Mathias and Anna (Demuth) Kennedy. He attended St. Joseph Catholic School, the New Hampton High School graduating in 1931, two years at Loras College and three years at the University of Iowa. He returned to New Hampton and became a partner in Sheakley & Kennedy Department Store. Ralph served in WWII as a Staff Sergeant in the 54th Medical Battalion, overseas in Africa, Sicily and Italy from August 1942 until October 1945. On February 20, 1950, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler, he married Mary Geraldine (Gerry) Galligan. To this union three children were born; Dan, Kathy and Ed. In 1957, he purchased the Sheakley interest and ran Kennedy's Department Store until his retirement on January 20, 1979. While in business, he was admired as a trusted merchant and always put the community first. He was a member of the American Legion, Knights of Columbus, past president of the Chamber of Commerce where he received the “Boss of the Year 1966” award. Ralph was a volunteer at Mercy Medical Center and also delivered “Meals on Wheels”. He was a member of Holy Family Parish where he ushered for many years. He was a long-time former member of the Elks Lodge #418 in Charles City. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gerry; three children, Dan (Roxanne) Kennedy of Charles City, Kathy (Patrick) Carney of Clear Lake, Ed (Vicki) Kennedy of Edina, MN; seven grandchildren, Neil Kennedy, Kyle Kennedy, Megan (Brian) Blackwood, Nathan (Andrea) Carney, Christopher (Nichole) Carney, Matt (Jenny) Kennedy, Katie Kennedy; four great-grandchildren, Hannah and Stella Blackwood, Hudson Carney and Morgan Kennedy; many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Edward, Charles, Roscoe and Walter Kennedy; two sisters-in-law, Marie Kennedy and Martha Kennedy.