Muriel Kennedy

1931 - 2025

Muriel Katherine Krantz was born on July 25, 1931, to Anna (Carlson) and Ragnar Krantz at their farmhouse in Sunrise Township near Harris, Minnesota. She attended Chippewa Hill School District 48 for eight years, walking 1 3/4 mile each way. She graduated from Rush City High School in 1949. She married Harold Rodenborg on June 12, 1949, and began life on a farm near Grasston, Minnesota. They were parents of Merry Kay, Nancy Ann, and Randy Harold. Harold became a pilot in 1959, left the farm and began operating the Mora airport, later teaching at Instrument Flight Training at the Minneapolis airport, and moving to Burnsville. They were divorced in 1970. Muriel taught piano, beginning in her teens, and had studios in Mora, Burnsville, Forest Lake, Lindstrom, and North Branch. She played organ for churches beginning in 1944 at First Lutheran in Harris, Minnesota. She received a BA in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Minnesota in 1972. She married Wilmar Kennedy of Mendota, Minnesota, in 1974. In 1979, they bought land in Sunrise Township and built a cabin on the Sunrise River, where Muriel lived until she died. Wil died in 1990.

Muriel became a realtor in 1985 and worked at Dresel Reality and Remax, retiring in 1999.

She was active in the community, serving on the Chisago Board of Adjustment 1988-1998. She served on the Sunrise Planning Commission and the North Branch Board on Aging. She was a member of Sunrise Bible Church where she played piano and organ, directed choir, and taught Sunday School. She was a Coordinator at the North Branch Senior Dining site from 2000-2003.

Muriel loved walking in the woods to the Sunrise River with her dogs. She enjoyed weaving rag rugs, baking cookies, oil painting, making quilts, and going to lunch at the Senior Center in North Branch.

She is survived by her children, Merry Shernock (Tim Swartz) of Vermont, Nancy Rodenborg (Larry Baker) of St. Paul, and Randy Rodenborg (Carol Porter) of Nebraska; eight grandchildren, Mirra Shernock (Justin Lake) and Mizzumi of California, Britta Eberle (Will) and Ragnar, Ada and Frances of Vermont, Rachel Rodenborg (Nancy Holdgrapher) of St. Louis Park, Anna Baker (Jeremy Stock) and Peter and Charlie of St. Paul, Paul Baker of Brooklyn, NY, Ben Rodenborg (Stephanie) and Jasper and Malin, Christopher Rodenborg, and Briton Rodenborg (Heather), all of Nebraska; nephew, Regan Krantz of Hawaii; and other relatives and friends, especially cousin Robert (Shanna) Krantz.

Those preceding her are her parents, husbands Willmar Kennedy and Harold Rodenborg, brother Willard Krantz (Junko), niece Ina Krantz, and Robert Cash.

Services are at the Sunrise Bible Church on Friday, October 17, at 2:00PM, with gathering time an hour before. Interment preceding at the Oak Grove Cemetery at Harris, Minnesota. Memorials can be sent to the Union Gospel Mission of St. Paul.

Arrangements are being handled through the cremation Society of Minnesota. www.cremationsocietyofmn.com