Nellie R. Kern

Nellie Rebecca Kern was born December 4, 1908, in Lee County, Illinois, daughter of Howard and Rebecca (Propst) Lowman. Nellie grew up in the Fenton area where she attended rural schools. She married Melvin Kern on October 20, 1928, in Fairmont, Minnesota. Throughout the years, Nellie lived in the Fenton, Bancroft, and Algona area. She worked from 1963 until 1974 in the Algona High School Hot Lunch Program, and later drove chassis for Brougham. She was an active volunteer with the Senior Citizens Center and Congregate Meals and received the Governor's Volunteer Award in 1992. Nellie was a Gold Star Mother perpetuating the noble principles for which her son fought and died for in the war. Nellie enjoyed quilt work, writing poetry, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards, and she was a Memory Brothers fan. Nellie R. Kern died Thursday, August 19, 2004, at the Algona Manor Care Center, at the age of 95. She is survived by eight children, Delmar Kern and wife Joan, West Union, Dale Kern and wife Judy, Claremont, CA, Frank Kern and wife Bette, Algona, Kay Groesbeck, Algona, Robert Kern and wife Jennifer, Claremont, CA, Karen Hardgrove and special friend Richard Ford, Algona,...[more]

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nda Grems and special friend Henry Ferguson, Algona, and Steve Kern and wife Cindy, Monroe; 17 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; one brother, Howard Lowman, Algona, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Melvin on January 22, 1978; one daughter, Opal Bloom; five sons, Richard, Martin, Gary, Kenneth, and William Kern; one granddaughter, Sarah Davik; one sister, Virginia Sankey; and three brothers, Hurtzel, Cecil, and Perry Lowman.