Beverly J. Kennedy
1937 — 2018
Beverly J. Rosso Kennedy, 81, of Bartlett, NE, passed away on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 in Omaha, NE surrounded by family.
Funeral services were held Saturday, June 16, 2018, at United Methodist Church in Bartlett, NE with Rev. Duane Waddle officiating. Interment followed at the Bartlett Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to Bartlett Garden Club or Bartlett United Methodist Women’s Fellowship.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.levanderfuneralhome.com.
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Beverly was born February 25, 1937 at Chambers, Nebraska to Everett and Helen (Sturek) Rosso. She grew up in Wheeler County and graduated from Wheeler County High School in 1954. She took normal training in high school and taught at a rural school near Newman Grove. She attended Wayne State College to fulfill her teaching requirements.
She was united in marriage to William Kennedy on July 1, 1957. They ranched north of Bartlett and raised a family of 6 children, 15 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren. Raising her family, caring for them and serving their needs was the center of Bev’s life.
In their “retirement years”, Bill and Bev followed a family tradition of horse racing to the Nebraska thoroughbred racing circuit, where she loved to entertain family, visit the barn, cook for everyone and anyone, and enjoy her new life on the “backside”.
It was during these retirement years that the tradition of Kennedy Camp-out, which Bev loved, was started. Twenty-one years later the tradition continues to be celebrated by her family.
Bev enjoyed flower gardening, baking, animals, Hallmark movies, and her special sports teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Denver Broncos.
She was a member of the Bartlett Garden Club, the Wheeler County Legion Auxiliary, Wheeler County Extension Clubs, and the United Methodist Women’s Fellowship.
Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Marcia (David) Smith of Bartlett, Sue Kennedy of Omaha, Kelly (Marlin) Scott of Belgrade, Jill (Mark) Tolstedt of Alliance, Mike (Sara) Kennedy of Omaha, and Nancy (Patrick) Hebert of Odessa, Florida. Bev is also survived by 15 grandchildren, William Smith and wife Amy, Andrew Smith and wife Justine, Phillip Smith and wife Matty, Tyler Ware, Katie Ware, Abby Ropers and husband AJ, Sam Scott and wife Stephanie, Claire Tolstedt, Elaine Arehart and husband Aaron, Grace Tolstedt, Jaime Kennedy, Travis Kennedy, Matthew Kennedy, Nicole Hebert, Lyndsay Hebert, and 8 great-grandchildren. Other survivors include twin brother Robert (LaVonne) Rosso, and sisters Yvonne (Ron) Field and Annie (Ken) Kasselder, and sister-in-law Polly Ann Dierkes.
She is preceded in death by her husband William Kennedy, her parents, Everett and Helen Rosso, her brother Dwight, her infant sister Rita Rose, her sisters-in-law Evelyn Rosso and Kathryn Kennedy Clair, and brothers-in-law Gerald Clair and John Dierkes.
