Joseph LeRoy Kennedy, 74, of rural Soldier passed away on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at his home surrounded by his family.

He was born August 10, 1947, the son of Joseph Leo Kennedy and Catherine Beightel Kennedy. He attended Sunny Slope School until 8th grade. He graduated from Holton High School in 1965 and received an Associates Degree from Highland Community College.

After high school, he worked for the Co-op, scooping corn and coal into a bin. He purchased his first white faced cattle from Shorty Bostwick. He drove the cattle from West of Circleville to the Kennedy Farm. Joe and his dad started Kennedy Fertilizer in 1964. He continued to operate the fertilizer business until 1992. He also worked construction with cousins, Pat and Mike Kennedy.
He was the Noxious Weed and Zoning Director for Jackson County. He was the first director of Banner Creek Reservoir.

Joe enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard in 1966 first in Topeka, then Manhattan. He worked as a mechanic for Company D, 169th Battalion. He retired after 32 ½ years in 1998 as a Chief Warrant Officer. While in the Army, Joe was able to travel to Germany and Panama. He attended many summer camps in Fort Carson and Guernsey, Wyoming.

His biggest passion was farming, with his dad until he passed, and now with his son, Kelly. Joe loved Farmall tractors and anything Red. He received the Farm Bureau Century Farm Award in 2007. He enjoyed traveling, especially to see his cousins in Colorado. Summers were spent processing truckloads of sweet corn with his sister, Cathleen, children, and grandchildren. Joe enjoyed Chuckwagon Cooking at the Kennedy Campout. He was a member of the Chuckwagon Organization. Joe’s grandchildren enjoyed his words of wisdom and many jokes he would tell.

He was a member of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Holton, a life member of Holton Knights of Columbus Council No. 4219, and had served on the Parish Council at the church. Joe had been a member of the Jackson County Fair Board and a 4-H Club Leader of Pleasant Valley Rustlers. He was a member of the Farm Bureau Board. He collected rain samples for the National Weather Service for more than 40 years. He was a member of the American Legion.

Joe married Kathy Kaul in November of 1995. She survives, of the home. Joe said some of the best years of his life were spent with Kathy. Joe and Kathy loved the farm, riding across the pastures on their ranger, and searching for various wildflowers or weeds. They really enjoyed searching for and collecting various things at antique stores and auctions.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Cathleen Reed.

Other survivors include a son, Kelly Kennedy (Kim), Soldier; four daughters Carmen Cattrell (Dan) and Kalena Tannahill, all of Circleville; Kaycee Simon (Alan), Fort Collins, CO.; and Jeanie Wege (Kent), Whiting; a sister Betty Jo Howells (Bart), Dillon, MT.; sixteen grandchildren, Joseph (Taylor), John (Kristen), and Joel Kennedy; Corey Jones (Jordan), Brianna Bell (Erik), Kaden and Savannah Cattrell; Kyler, Konor, Karoline, Koy, and Kennedy Tannahill; Cole and Luke Simon; Lisa and Andrew Wege, three great grandchildren, Paislee, Peyton and Bronx, and a host of Kennedy and Beightel cousins.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 17th at the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Holton. Burial will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, west of Holton. Joe will lie in state after noon on Tuesday at the funeral home. A Rosary, led by the Knights of Columbus, will be at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by visitation until 8:00 p.m.. Memorials are suggested to St. Dominic Catholic Church, Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church or Holton Community Hospital Hospice and may be sent in care of the funeral home, PO Box 1034, Holton, Ks 66436.