Kathleen “Kathy” L. McKown
Aug. 1, 1950 - April 17, 2015
Kathleen “Kathy” Lorraine McKown was born on Aug. 1, 1950, at Lutheran Hospital in Columbus to Frank and Norma (Jindra) Karel. She passed away around noon on Friday, April 17, 2015, at Bryan Hospital in Lincoln amongst the company of her immediate family at the age of 64 years and 259 days.
Kathy grew up in Clarkson and graduated from Clarkson High School with the Class of 1968. As a Red Devil, she was the homecoming queen and captain of the cheerleading squad.
Kathy attended Wayne State College and graduated in 1972 with a degree in education. In college, she met and later married her first husband, Brian Schuett of Holstein, Iowa. She lost Brian to a work-related infection after just three years of marriage.
Kathy took her first teaching job as a business teacher at Norfolk High School in the fall of 1972. After the spring of 1975, she relocated and began teaching business at Fremont High School, where she would teach until 1989.
She remarried in July 1976 to LaVerne “Mac” McKown, a union that resulted in the birth of her two children—Nathan and Megan. In Fall 1989, Kathy relocated to Seward with her children, taking on the business teaching role at Seward High School until her retirement following the 2006 school year. During her tenure at Seward High, she served as class sponsor and headed the school’s FBLA chapter.
In her final years, she joined her mother in returning to her rural roots and moved to an acreage west of Lincoln, where she enjoyed mowing and gardening. Her life was highlighted by a youthful, enduring spirit, always caring about the joy of others above that of her own. She enjoyed deep relationships with her family, teaching colleagues, and her many students. Kathy cherished the outdoors, often gearing up for a leisurely drive, a fishing day-trip, or to join her children for a day of waterskiing on the lake. She will be fondly remembered by many for her optimism, cheer, passion, work ethic, her ability to find joy in the simplest of life’s gifts and, of course, her dancing.
Kathy was preceded in death by her father, Frank, and first husband, Brian. She is survived by her mother, Norma Karel of Lincoln; her son, Nathan McKown and wife Ashley of Lincoln; her daughter Megan McKown of Omaha; her sister, Cynthia Lewallen of Lincoln; her nephew Justin Lewallen, wife Michelle, and daughter Olivia of Kansas City, Missouri; her niece Krystal Rogge and husband Mark of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; her niece Kylie Bangert, husband Travis, and son Brecken of Lincoln; and her niece Kaila Lewallen and fiancé Baker of Lincoln.
A celebration of life was held April 21, 2015, at Zabka Funeral Home, with Pastor Dan Weber officiating.
