Marilyn Mae Kenney's Obituary
Mother and I met on Halloween, we were both 15. She was dressed as a hobo and looked like a boy. We met again at 16 and boy she didn’t look like a little boy anymore.She liked the neighbor boy and that is the reason I didn’t like him. I worked after school sweeping classrooms and cleaning lab’s so I showed up late to join the neighborhood kids at play every night. It earned me the nickname the Tide cause in came every night.I was persistent and eventually, late in our 16th year she said I guess we are going steady, works for me. We were poor so we wandered the parks in East Oakland.At 18 I proposed and she accepted. My Mother had to sign for me but Marilyn was old enough, figure?We had a great run, two daughters, but a Son we lost on his 2nd day with pneumonia due to slow delivery. Our Son was the first of two tragedies.Then our younger daughter Sue was nearly killed in an auto accident. Mother walked the halls of Eden hospital for days while Sue was unconscious. I collapsed and went home to sleep.When I returned she looked relieved. I couldn’t believe it when told me God had talked to her, Sue was still unconscious, God said she would be all right and she did begin to regain consciousness. It took two years before she could walk and talk again but here she is.After that we worked together and opened a glass company upstairs in our home and it took off. We ran it for 20 years. At the office I was Mr. Kenney and at home she was the queen.We’d never been apart until she died beside me after our 66th anniversary, but we will always be together.
What’s your fondest memory of Marilyn?
What’s a lesson you learned from Marilyn?
Share a story where Marilyn's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Marilyn you’ll never forget.
How did Marilyn make you smile?