Lorene Kernan, 99

Lorene (Hayden) Kernan was born at Blackbird (North Holt Co.) on July 5, 1921 to Bertha (Rouse) and James R. Hayden. She passed away on May 1, 2021 at the age of 99 years at the Rock County Hospital Long Term Care Center in Bassett.

She grew up in Long Pine and graduated from Long Pine High School in 1939. Lorene taught school following normal training as soon as she was out of high school, from 1939 to 1988, with one year in Keya Paha County and the remaining years in Rock County.

She married Fred Kernan on November 9, 1940 and moved to the farm northeast of Long Pine where she lived for 58 years. Their daughter Judith (Judy) was their pride and joy.

Lorene completed her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 1966 after attending four years of summer school. She promoted using educational television in the classroom and served as ITV Coordinator for Rock County Schools, directed ESU workshops in surrounding counties, and served on curriculum writing committees and teacher guide writing workshops in mathematics and language arts for Nebraska Educational Television. She was recognized as Educator of the Month in 1970 by NET.

In 1973 she was appointed by Governor Exxon as a member of the Nebraska Professional Commission of Education. She served six years in this role, traveling the state to various schools.

She served on the Rock County High School Foundation Board and was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and Kappa Kappa Iota, teaching societies. She retired from Bassett Grade School in 1988. She was a director of the Long Pine Heritage Society and a member of the VFW, Rebekah Lodge, and the Long Pine Methodist Church. She also served as secretary of the Long Pine Alumni Association and on local election boards and the ASCS board.

Lorene and her husband Fred were named Ak-Sar-Ben Good Neighbors in 1974, and Lorene was given the award a second time in 2002.

She had many special friends and left a list acknowledging their names: Richard and Nancy Goble, Jack and Wardene Roark, Dora Johnson, Doris Newcomer, Kay Lynn Kalkowski, Mabel Koenig, Avis Moore, Donna Foxworthy, Bev and Jim Newport, Helen and Johnny Stec, Mary Gurney, and all her former teacher friends.

Lorene was preceded in death by her husband, Fred in 1986, her parents, and a baby sister, brothers, William “Bill” and Keith.

She is survived by her daughter, Judy Kernan of Collbran, CO; sister-in-law, Donna Hayden of Boise, ID and family Jim, Barbra Jo and Janet; special niece, Joyce Muirhead and husband Neal of Valentine and their family David (Michelle), Nicole, and Devin (Brandy), Dillion and Logan, and members of Ray and James Munson families.

Funeral Services were held on Friday, May 7, 2021 at the Hoch Funeral Home in Ainsworth. Hoch Funeral Home of Ainsworth was entrusted with the service arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hochfuneralhome.com.