[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 45 (Thursday, March 31, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H2118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING ELIZABETH KEARNEY

  (Mr. WALZ of Minnesota asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. I rise today to honor a remarkable woman. This 
weekend, those who love and admire Elizabeth Kearney will gather in 
Mankato, Minnesota, to celebrate her life. She passed away last 
Saturday at a very vibrant 96. She was a trailblazer in countless ways. 
She graduated with a degree in medical technology from the University 
of Minnesota in 1936. After her husband, Wynn, completed his residency 
in Rochester, Minnesota, they moved to Mankato, where they raised five 
children and became pillars of our community.
  The Mankato Free Press reported that she was a devoted mother who 
cherished family above all else and was so active in the community. She 
was a friend, a mentor, and a role model. Her daughter Ann and her sons 
Wynn and Mike and their wives, Ginette and Jane, are still an important 
force in our community. She founded the Women's Leadership Development 
Program at the YWCA, served on the Mankato Rehabilitation Center board, 
started the cultural exchange program at the University of Minnesota, 
Mankato, and served on so many countless organizations.
  The Free Press summed it up: ``Elizabeth was the personification of 
grace, humility, kindness, and generosity, and a day didn't pass 
without her touching someone's life in her special way.'' Elizabeth 
will be deeply missed not only by her family but by so many of us in 
the community who admired her commitment to causes greater than 
herself.

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