Janice Kenner  

Janice Marilyn Ryman, 95, was born on June 26, 1928, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska and died at Blue Valley Lutheran Home in Hebron, on Aug. 28. She was the daughter of Floyd W. Ryman and Pauline Moore Ryman.

Her father, who was a dentist and avid aviator, died in a plane accident when Janice had just turned six years old. Janice lived with her Great Aunt Macie and Uncle Earl Yeast from 1937 to 1939 in Tecumseh while her mother returned to college. From 1939 to 1941 Janice, her brother Dick, and her mother, Pauline, lived in Rochester New York. Janice completed 5th, 6th, and 7th Grades in Rochester before moving back to Lincoln in 1941. Janice attended Irving Junior High School and Lincoln High School where she graduated in the class of 1946. Janice attended Camp Lake Hubert in Minnesota during her youth and teenage years. She was an expert rifleman and eventually became the director of the rifle range at the camp along with being a counselor.

Janice pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority at UNL and was a member of the Kappas much to her mother’s chagrin! Jan’s roommate in college, Ann McClymont, had a brother who was a friend of a recent UNL graduate who was lonely while working at a bank in Hebron.

A blind date originating at the Corn Popper in Lincoln set the stage for their lives. Janice married James Rupert Kenner Jr. on Aug. 12, 1950, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. In 1951 Jim was recalled into the United States Navy and Jan and their young daughter, Mary, moved to Hawaii for two years. In 1953, Mike was born in Honolulu. A few weeks before their return to Hebron, they learned their home had been destroyed in the tornado.

Jane was born in 1957 and Pat arrived in 1960 to their home on the dead end at 1140 Olive. Janice and her Lincoln friend, Kathy Svoboda, operated a nursery school in their house. Jan was an active Girl Scout leader and active in PEO and the DW club. She was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church in Hebron. Janice was an early female member of the Hebron School Board during the time of the redistricting of the Belvidere and Gilead districts, which was a challenging time. Janice took flight instructions with plans to fly with Jim. She completed her solo flights but after her flight instructor died in an aviation accident, she didn’t pursue her certifications. In 1970, Janice returned to UNL to become an accomplished potter, an interest she carried into a small business.

Janice was an expert seamstress, quilter, spinner, weaver, painter and baker. She was artistically talented and has quietly inspired many family members and friends in the pursuit of their artistic talents over the years. Janice taught Kindergarten, filling in for Mrs. Woolston for a few semesters. Jan was interested in local history and especially women’s suffrage. She was involved with the Thayer County Historical Society.

Jan was a life long loyal Husker football fan sitting at games in the knothole section at age 5 to her final games attending at age 93 making a Lincoln paper story and the big screen at the stadium several times.

Jim and Jan had returned to the northern woods and lakes of Minnesota for their family vacation since 1961. In 1994, Jim and Jan built a home near Crosslake, Minnesota.

Janice was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Richard Ryman.

Survivors include her husband, Jim Kenner, of Hebron, four children, Mary Glover (Bill) of Phoenix Arizona, J. Michael Kenner of Duck Creek Village, Utah, Mrs. Mike Smith (Jane) of Bailey, Colorado, and Patrick of Hebron; 11 grandchildren: 22 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild.

Her funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at the Presbyterian Church in Hebron.