Jean Kinne
Jean Kinne
Jean Yoakum Kinne, age 95, of Hamilton, MO, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019, at a health care center in Cameron. Jean was born on a farm southwest of Polo on Nov. 7, 1924, to Charles and Lola Yoakum. She graduated from Kingston High School in 1943 and married Don L. Kinne of Hamilton on Nov. 25, 1944.
Her career included work as a clerk at Amber’s Department Store in Hamilton (where she met her husband), various odd jobs at Fort Knox, KY, when Don was serving in the Army during WWII, and Caldwell County Coordinator for the Green Hills Office of Economic Opportunity and the Office of Aging from 1978 to 1982. She received her CDL and helped her husband drive the OATS bus on many tours for senior citizens in the late 70s and early 80s. Jean was also a lifelong farmer and participated in the 1978/1979 Tractorcade Protest to Washington, DC, where she cooked for most of this area’s participants.
Jean was very active as a wife and mother. She was a 4-H Leader, president of the PTA and president of the Hamilton Band Mothers Association. As Band Mother President, she coordinated the fund drive for the first new band uniforms in many years. One of her life goals was to be able to attend all of her grandchildren’s weddings, which she accomplished with enthusiasm! She was a wonderful grandmother to five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She was loved and will be missed by all. She was known to them and most family and friends as MeMe or Great MeMe. As her granddaughter has said, “If you knew her, you loved her and she loved you!”
Jean was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; four brothers; and two sisters.
She is survived by her daughter, Sandra (Dennis) Dodd of Cameron; her son, Gordon (Laura) Kinne of Springfield; as well as her grandchildren, Douglas (Tracy) Dodd of Cameron, Brian (Debra) Dodd of Berthoud, CO, Corrie (Bernie) Burtch of Ballwin, Marshall (Winter) Kinne of Springfield, and Mason (Jamie) Kinne of Chandler, AZ. She is also survived by ten great-grandchildren; two sisters, Betty Yoakum Sackman and Marjorie Yoakum Dowd; and many nieces and nephews. Jean has requested that anyone who has hunted or fished on the farm honor her by wearing their camo to the service.
A memorial service will be held at the Federated Church in Hamilton on Monday, Jan. 6. A visitation will be in the church sanctuary starting at 1:00 p.m., and the service will begin at 2:00 p.m., with graveside services to follow at Highland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Highland Cemetery, 208 E. School Street, Hamilton, MO 64644. Arrangements have been entrusted to Bram Funeral Home in Hamilton.
