Nancy Kern

P. Dean Homer Funeral Home A. Kay Welles Homer, Supervisor 1 Grovedale Lane RR02 Box 5-A Wyalusing, Pennsylvania 18853 Tel 570 746-1444 Fax 570 928-8116 Email pdh@epix.net Obituary Nancy Marshall Kern passed peacefully at her home in Stevensville, PA on Friday, January 16, 2009. The daughter of J. Norman Marshall and Ruth Conrad Marshall, Nancy was born November 13, 1934 in Kingston, PA. Her family was active members of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, where her parents served as long time Youth Advisors and Nancy received the Church Service Cross Award for her participation in the choir and many other music programs. She graduated from Myers High School in Wilkes-Barre, PA in the class of 1952 where she was the co-editor of the year book, Colophon, and was active in a number of school organizations, including the modern choir, student council and the senior honor society. Nancy also participated in water ballet and the field hockey team. The caption below her picture in the Colophon reads, “Attractive, dependable, and highly intelligent. One of the most prominent members of the graduating class.” Nancy attended East Stroudsburg College, obtaining a BS of Education in 1956. She graduated with high honors and was inducted into the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society in Education and was selected for the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges 1955 – 1956. While in college, Nancy met the love of her life, Clayton J. Kern, and was married to him at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre by Rev. W. Herbert Sugden on January 28, 1956. Nancy and Clayton would have celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary at the end of this month. Nancy taught second grade and kindergarten for several years at Flemington Rareton Elementary School, Frenchtown Elementary School and Milford Elementary School, all in New Jersey. She left teaching after the birth of her 5th child to concentrate on raising her very active family, but returned to education later in life, mentoring several elementary students and working as a substitute teacher for special needs students when she lived in Owego, NY. A member of many civic and community organizations, Nancy was also an active church member over the years, serving as choral director and youth choir director at Danboro Reformed Church in Danboro, PA and as a choir member and deacon at Carversville United Church of Christ in Carversville, PA. Nancy also sang for many years with the Bucks County Choral Society in Doylestown, PA. A current member of Herrickville, Wesleyan Church, Nancy was active in the Over Fifty Gang. A lifelong participant in scouting, Nancy serviced as a Girl Scout leader and area organizer for the Freedom Valley Girl Scout Council in Bucks County, PA for several years. She later became active in the Boy Scouts of America, serving as Unit Commissioner, Cub Round Table Commissioner and Day Camp Program Director. Nancy received the Distinguished Commissioner Award and the District Award of Merit in the Baden-Powell District The daughter of a 2nd generation horticulturist, Nancy grew up helping in her mother’s floral shop and greenhouse business and had a lifelong love of flowers and gardening, feeding her family with the fruits or her labor for many years. She enjoyed spending time with her family, her 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. The entire family spent much time in the outdoors, often hiking and camping in many different eastern seaboard states. Nancy was an avid reader who particularly enjoyed mysteries, especially Agatha Christie novels. She is survived by her husband, Clayton J. Kern of Stevensville, PA, her brother J. Norman Marshall, Jr. of Durham, NC, her five children: C. Scott Kern of Newport, NY, Lisa (Kern) Yoder of Stevensville, PA, Joanne (Kern) Feldbruegge of Red Hill, PA, Kathy (Kern) Funari of Forksville, PA and David J. Kern of Newport, NC; her children’s spouses, 10 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at Herrickville Wesleyan Church in Herrickville, PA on Saturday, January 24. A greeting period will start at 10:00 am, with the funeral service immediately following at 11:00 am. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the P. Dean Homer Funeral Home, 1 Grovedale Lane, Wyalusing, PA 18853. To send condolences or sign the e-guestbook, please go to homerfuneralhome.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Nancy Kern, please visit our flower store.