Obituary of Eva Lena Klenn

Eva Lena Klenn, 103, lifetime resident of Ripley County, Missouri, died Sunday, November 10, 2013, at the Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Mrs. Klenn, daughter of Andrew and Cora (Hufstedler) Randel, was born August 7, 1910, in the Lone Star community of Ripley County. She had been a rural schoolteacher and housewife and was a member of Bennett Busy Bees Extension Club, Ripley County Farm Bureau, Ripley County Extension Council, Amity Willing Workers and held offices in all those organizations, as well as being the Kelly Township Political Committee Woman for many years. She was a member of the Bennett Church from 1930-1965 and, after selling the family farm, she transferred her membership to the First Baptist Church in Doniphan. She loved growing flowers, with roses being her favorite, making quilts and crocheting pineapple doilies. At age 7 she and her family rode up Current River from Doniphan to Silver Shoal to visit her family members on the Ollar's paddle wheel boat, the Epsie Memphis. They then rode the train to Colorado Springs to live. It was back to Ripley County from Burlington, Colorado 6 years later in a Ford truck with solid rear tires, a 782 mile journey that took two weeks to complete. As a member of the first Donettes basketball team, she was recognized as one of the fastest guards ever to play for the Doniphan girls basketball team. She was voted best all-around girl by her high school peers. After graduation from high school at the age of 16, she attended one semester at Southwest Missouri State College in Springfield. She taught her first year at Lower Buffalo. The following year she boarded with the Whitesides and rode a horse across Little Black River to teach at Rock Hill School. Both her grandfathers served in the Civil War and one Great-Grandfather and 2 of his sons perished in that conflict. On September 12, 1930, she was married to D. Ben Klenn at First Baptist Church in Doniphan. He preceded her in death on November 15, 1992. After marriage, while living at Bennett, a crossroads for people traveling to and from other places, in 1932, at the age of 22, she had unexpected company come for supper, stay all night, and eat breakfast the following morning for 22 consecutive nights (with no electricity and no refrigerator.) Mrs. Klenn made her children's clothing, cooked their family meals, boarded two hired hands most of the time and taught Sunday School for many years while teaching and encouraging her children the highest standards of Christian life. Surviving are two children, Betty Kenley and Jerry (and Janet)Klenn, both of Doniphan; two grandsons, Sam (and LeeAnn) Kenley of Rolla, Missouri, and Greg (and Lisa) Kenley of Doniphan; one step-grandson, Mark (and Stephanie) Lemons of Peach Tree City, Georgia; 5 step-great-grandchildren and 7 step-great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three sisters, Pearl Rouse, Alma Risenhoover and Anna GIbson; two brothers, Omer Randel and Frank Randel; and her son-in-law, Sam Kenley. Visitation will be held Tuesday evening, November 12, 2013, from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will start on Wednesday morning, November 13, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. in the funeral home chapel with Brothers Wade Rogers and Larry Bashaw officiating. Burial will be in the Doniphan City Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Youth Department of the First Baptist Church of Doniphan or Bennett Cemetery Fund, c/o Joe Hollomon, HC 7, Box 380, Doniphan, MO 63935