Lena Pearl Kephart, 91, formerly of Luverne, died Wednesday, July 22, 2020, at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage.
A funeral service was Monday, July 27, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. Burial followed at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
Lena Spaur was born on Oct. 27, 1928, to Willis and Mary (Bowie) Spaur in Bussey, Iowa. Pearl was the second of five children and the oldest daughter. Pearl’s father died when she was eight years old. As a result, Pearl helped her mother throughout the years with many household chores. The Spaur family attended Bussey Nazarene Church where she and her sisters would often sing for services. Pearl graduated from Bussey High School in 1946. She then worked as a waitress in a small café in Knoxville, Iowa.
On June 21, 1947, Pearl married Alvy Kephart. The couple lived for a number of years in Ottumwa, Iowa, where they were blessed with the first four of their children. They then purchased a small farm with a large farm house near Eldon, Iowa, where they were blessed with three more children. During these years, Pearl loved being a homemaker and helping out on the farm. In 1973 they moved to Steen, where Pearl took a job as a CNA for the Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne until her health forced her to retire. In 2002, a year after the death of her husband, Alvy, she moved to Luverne to be closer to family. In August of 2018 she moved to the Good Samaritan Home in Luverne. Pearl took a fall and broke her hip on July 17, 2020. She became a resident at the Luverne Hospice Cottage and lived there until her death.
Pearl was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne where she was involved in the Naomi Circle. She loved to sing at church and especially enjoyed the older hymns. She also loved vegetable gardening and had an abundance of good food to share with her family. She enjoyed watching Hallmark movies and feeding the squirrels and birds. Her faith and her family were first and foremost in her life. She took great pride in her grandchildren and loved watching them grow up.
Pearl is survived by her children, Cathie Miller of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Danny (Evelyn) Kephart of Luverne, Carol Kephart of Mankato, Randy Kephart of Luverne, and Cynthia (Mark) Kurtz of Luverne; 10 grandchildren; nine stepgrandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; many stepgreat-grandchildren; her sister, Julia Kerr of Oskaloosa, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Alvy; infant daughter Mary Joanna Kephart; son Alvy Eugene Jr; and infant granddaughter Jody Marie Kephart.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
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