[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 190 (Monday, November 10, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING ANNA KATHLEEN CUMMINS KENNEDY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JASON SMITH

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 10, 2025

  Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Anna 
Kathleen Cummins Kennedy of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, whose life 
exemplified service to country, devotion to family, and tireless 
commitment to community. Born on January 1, 1925, near Falmouth, 
Kentucky, Anna Kathleen was the seventh of ten children on her parents' 
farm. When her mother died at age 12, she immediately assumed the 
duties of running the household, caring for her younger brothers, 
cooking, and keeping the home, all while continuing her education and 
graduating from Falmouth High School in 1942. During those formative 
years she became an extraordinary cook, an immaculate homemaker, and a 
steadfast caretaker to her family.
  After contributing to the wartime labor force in Cincinnati, Ohio, 
she enlisted in the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service in 
early 1945 and trained in New York. She served with the U.S. Navy Nurse 
Corps at Naval Air Station Memphis, Tennessee, where she ministered to 
service members during the final months of World War II. She was 
honorably discharged in January 1946 after devoting service to her 
country.
  In the closing days of her service, she met Ardell O. Kennedy at the 
Memphis Naval Air Station. They married in January 1946 and began their 
family in 1947. Ardell and Anna enjoyed 71 amazing years together 
welcoming their four children: Karen Delleen, Bonnie Lee, Mark Alan, 
and Douglas Ray. They both made education a priority, ensuring each 
child completed college and pursued careers in nursing, teaching, and 
law.
  The Kennedys made Poplar Bluff their permanent home in 1950. For two 
decades Kathy raised her children while serving as a devoted wife and 
mother and as an active leader in her church and community. She was a 
charter member of Fellowship General Baptist Church and served as Den 
Mother, PTA member, Vacation Bible School director, Sunday School 
teacher, and participant in mission and quilting societies. She devoted 
herself to food, clothing, and fund drives and served Eastern Star for 
more than 50 years, holding local and state offices.
  Once her children were grown, Kathy worked for more than 25 years as 
a clerk at livestock auctions across Missouri and Arkansas. She 
cherished family gatherings, hosted Sunday dinners, and traveled with 
relatives to nearly every state. She was a talented craftswoman whose 
creativity touched every part of her life. She enjoyed bowling for both 
fun and friendship, and her love of reading kept her mind curious and 
engaged. She became grandmother to 10 and great-grandmother to 16, 
creating cherished quilts and paintings for each and continuing to 
nourish her family with homemade meals as long as she was able.
  It is my honor to recognize Anna Kathleen Cummins Kennedy for a life 
defined by courage in service, devotion to family, and enduring 
generosity to her community. Her legacy of care, craftsmanship, and 
commitment stands as a model of the quiet, steady contributions that 
strengthen families and towns across our Nation. On behalf of myself, 
Congressman Jason Smith and the community she served, I offer profound 
appreciation for her remarkable life.

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