Evelyn E. KENNEY

NEWPORT NEWS - Evelyn Moore Kenney, wife of the Rev. Dr. R. Furman Kenney, died Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, in Newport News.
She was born in Collinsville, Miss., to the Rev. Richard Earl Moore and Viva May Moore on March 18, 1919. She had been a resident of Newport News since 1956.
She was a graduate of Martin High School, Clarke Memorial College (Magna Cum Laude), Blue Mountain College (BA) and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Masters of Religious Education degree. She taught English in the Enterprise High School and the Quitman High School, both in Mississippi. She served as Minister of Education in the Southside Baptist Church in Meridian, Miss., in First Baptist Church, Laurens, S.C., in First Baptist Church, Waukeegan, Ill., and in the Port Norfolk Baptist Church, Portsmouth, Va. Later she served as Director of Church Training in Third Avenue Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky. She served as part-time librarian in the Methodist Hospital and later in the Baptist Hospital, both in Louisville, Ky. For 20 years she was librarian for the School of Professional Nursing and for the Medical Staff of Riverside Regional Medical Center. However, her main position in life was to serve as minister's wife in two churches in Kentucky, and in Smithfield Baptist Church, Smithfield, Va., and Parkview Baptist Church, Newport News... a task which she performed beautifully and lovingly.
She was active in the many organizations of the churches where her husband served as pastor and later in the North Riverside Baptist Church. In addition she served on occasions as a Library Outreach Director by leading conferences in churches scattered over the Southern Baptist Convention.
She liked to travel as was evident by the fact that she had visited eight continents, and many countries within those continents, as well as Hawaii and Alaska, and made repeated visits to the Holy Land.
She was thought of as a cultured and sweet lady to those who knew her. She was indeed a 'Southern Lady', but more especially, a 'Christian Lady'.
She was preceded in death by her parents, the Rev. and Mrs. R. Earl Moore; a sister, Alice Caldwell; and by a brother, Ethan E. Moore; as well as two brothers-in-law, Delma Caldwell and Glover Bridges.
She is survived by her husband of more than 65 years, the Rev. Dr. R. Furman Kenney Sr.; a son, Col. (Ret.) Robert F. Kenney Jr., and his wife, Mary Jane Kenney, of Williamsburg, Va.; by a daughter, Martha Lynn Kenney, and an 'adopted daughter', Ann Deibert, both of Louisville, Ky.; a sister, Mrs. Dot Bridges, of Pensacola, Fla.; and a sister-in-law, Mrs. Ann Moore, of Marietta, Ga.; by two grandsons, Patrick Jason Kenney, and Robert Alexander Kenney, both of Williamsburg, Va.; three nephews, Steve Moore (Deborah), Greg Moore (Pam) and Dr. David Moore (Julia), all of Hattiesburg, Miss.; two nieces, Mrs. Rhonda Osborne (David), of Birmingham, Ala., and Mrs. Allison Price (Lt. Col. Will), of Yuma, Ariz.; seven grandnieces and five grandnephews.
Visitation will be held in the Peninsula Funeral Home from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7. The funeral service, officiated by the Rev. Seth Horrell and the Rev. Dr. Nancy Hayes, will be conducted in the North Riverside Baptist Church at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8. Interment will follow in the Peninsula Memorial Park.
In lieu of floral contributions, it is suggested that those desiring to do so may give a contribution to the library of North Riverside Baptist Church, or to the Endowment Fund of The Chesapeake, or to the charity of their choice.
Peninsula Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. View and post condolences on our online guestbook at dailypress.com/guestbooks.