Blue Hill – Winifred Louise Kemp

Was it Nana Louise's rock-solid faith or her ironclad will that kept her alive until she could meet her daughter's youngest granddaughter and carry the news to everyone beyond?

Louise was born in Danville, PA to John W. and Irene (Rantz) Getty. Originally the middle child of five, she was the only daughter and youngest of three to survive childhood. Growing up on a farm with two older brothers during the Depression was not easy. Louise went to a one-room school until high school in Danville where she was valedictorian. Her older brother, Jack, was home on leave for the senior prom and, since most of the boys were overseas, danced with everyone to her delight.

Louise's father offered to send her to Bloomsburg Teachers' College, but she knew that she didn't want to be a teacher and set off for Fort Dix, NJ where she was to run the Western Union office for the duration of the war. During this period, she moved to Philadelphia and roomed at the YMCA. Among a group of women her age, her best friend was Sallie Cook of Waynesville, OH. We never heard most of the stories and were quite intrigued when we opened her trunk from those days in the family home in Lewisburg.

After the war, Louise visited Jack and his family in Germany during the Occupation. She moved back to central PA, and still worked for Western Union in Lewisburg, where she met Paul Kemp. He was attending Bucknell on the GI Bill and, as steward for his fraternity, came into the office regularly to check on commodity orders. Louise said that she thought that he was "stuck-up." One evening, working for his father, Paul stopped by the farm when her folks weren't home and tried to sell her a refrigerator. A veteran of the 99th Infantry Division and survivor of The Battle of the Bulge, he called her "Widget" and "Winnie Lou" and suffered from PTSD.

They were married on Christmas Eve in Bloomsburg and moved to Lightstreet where Patricia and Paul III were born. Paul was a chemical engineering major and worked for Merck. At some point they lived in married student housing at Bucknell Village. Things were hard but they knew many other couples trying to adjust to post-war life.

Everything got much worse when brother Jack died tragically and unexpectedly only a few days before he was to return from Inchon, Korea where he had been transferred from his intelligence unit in Germany. Louise had returned home from Philadelphia in part to care for her ailing mother and, with the death of her oldest son, Irene started to give in to the stress that any mother would feel with her children away at war. At about the same time, the remaining family farm was eminent domained for the future Route 80 and Irene lost her home. Louise and Paul had one more child, Susan, at the end of the 50's. Irene died in the hospital a few years later when an intern missed a vein during a routine procedure.

Paul never finished his undergraduate degree, but he and Louise bought a small house in the South Ward of Lewisburg after renting next door. Louise's father bought a farm in Mazeppa where he lived with his younger son Kent and his family. Paul's parents and brother had a place outside of Danville near Bloomsburg. The two fathers-in-law didn't speak, so there were usually two holiday dinners in Lewisburg. Sunday afternoons were likewise divided.

Louise was hired by Kathryn Kline to do typing for the Himmelreich library. She was extremely competent and loved her work so much that soon she was working part-time at the circulation desk and later in the new “Children's Room” a glorified mildew basement adjoining the Presbyterian Church. Louise was very proud of her work. No child ever touched a book with dirty hands. Louise and Paul were both over-qualified for their jobs, but they had a family to raise and they did their best. They belonged to Christ's Evangelical Lutheran Church and attended church every Sunday. Louise sang in the choir, helped establish the church library, and was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary and the sewing circle until her move to Maine.

The Vietnam War brought back past nightmares, especially since Paul III (Oz) was old enough for the Draft. He followed his sister Patti to college and, like his father, studied electrical engineering forging his own very brilliant career.
Life changed again when Louise's oldest grandchild was born to Patti and her husband Francis Anonia in the early 70's. "Jenni" was the light of her eyes and Louise took to grandmothering with the same zeal that she'd embraced her other careers. Jen was followed by Karyn and Liz and Louise wound up with nine grandchildren and five greats to date. Oz settled in Northboro, MA where he and his wife Mary raised their children Tim and Rachel. Susan and her husband David Reiley live in Brooklin, ME which is still the mailing address for Travis, Maia, and Jake and home for Mike for a little while longer.

Paul died of cancer in 1985. He was followed by son-in-law Fran in '94, Louise's father in ‘96, and daughter Patricia in '97. No longer able to live independently, Louise sold the house in Lewisburg and moved to Maine in 2003. Her son Paul died in 2012. Louise has many people waiting for her on the other side and so much to catch them up on.

Louise also leaves behind nephew John Getty and niece Marsha (Getty) Lohr and their families; sister-in-law Mary (Miz) Kemp and many other special people in Pennsylvania. Her family wishes to thank all of the many wonderful people who have cared for her over the years: Three very special CNA's: Julie and Will at The Island Nursing Home and Saralyn Byard of Sedgwick, ME, The Parkinson's Group; all of the staff at The Island Nursing Home, the Assisted Living caregivers at Parker Ridge; and Hancock County Hospice.

Louise would want you to read to a child. Preferably one with clean hands: If that's not happening, just get the kid and a good book and read. We will all miss her but know that she is loved.

A service is scheduled 3:00 pm, Saturday, July 30, 2016 at St. Brendan’s Episcopal Church on Deer Isle with a service in PA to follow. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com