Joanne Lea Kennedy was born on May 21, 1928, the oldest of five children of Albert "Ab" Kennedy and Amanda Isabelle "Belle" (Sheard) Kennedy. They lived in Gove County and Joanne attended Coin School near their home, Gove High School for her freshman year and graduated from Oakley High School in 1946. She lived with Al and Marie Leiker while attending school in Oakley. The Kennedy family moved 9 miles east of Wallace, Kansas when their home in Gove County was turned into part of the "Gunnery Range" during the war.

Joanne married Norbert James Bussen on February 3, 1947 and born into this union were 3 sons and 8 daughters. She enjoyed quilting and embroidery and made many custom pieces including quilts, tea towels, etc. Joanne helped Norb raise and release pheasants on their farm south of Monument, Kansas and also drove a school bus and worked in the Monument school lunch room for a time. She raised chickens, tended a vegetable garden and planted flower gardens for many years before moving into Oakley in 2001.

Joanne moved into the Logan County Manor in the spring of 2009 to be with Norb, who had moved there in September of 2006.

Joanne passed away on February 24, 2014 at Logan County Hospital. She was preceded in death by two sons, Michael James and Daniel Joseph, her parents, brother Gary and wife Marilyn Kennedy, granddaughter Carmen Bussen, brothers-in-law Duane Whitham, Howard Boyer, Waldo Hoss, Nicholas, Leo and Lawrence and wife Rosalie Bussen, sister-in-law Leona and husband Edwin Nutsch and son-in-law Raymond Haremza.

She is survived by her husband Norb of Oakley, son Edward (Rose) Bussen of Hays, daughters Patricia Haremza of Winona, Theresa Dickerson of Oakley, Virginia (Ron) Popp of Sharon Springs, Barbara (Richard) Butz of Pilot Point, TX, Kathleen Bussen of Edmond, OK, Christina (Keith) Hoyt of Brewster, Angela (Mark) Goudy of Deerfield, and Loretta Bussen of Burbank, CA, nineteen grandchildren, nine great-grand children, sisters Audrey Boyer of Fairland, OK and Reta Whitham (Don) Roberts of Siloam Springs, Ark., brother Beryle and wife Dixie Kennedy of Goodman, MO, sisters-in-law Margaret Hoss, Delores and Dorothy Bussen, brothers-in-law Raymond (Shirley), Jerome, and Richard (Antoinette) Bussen, many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Funeral mass was held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, February 28 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Oakley. Visitation: 5 – 8 p.m. Thursday at Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, with rosary/wake service at 7:00 p.m.
Memorials to St. Joseph's Catholic School and the Logan County Manor may be sent to Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, PO Box 221, Oakley 67748.

www.kennedykosterfh.com