Norcatur and Superintendent of the Tuberculosis Sanitarium
4/27/1877 – 12/1/1932
He was born at Saranac, Michigan, on April 27, 1877. His grandfather, David Kenney was a native of New York state and a pioneer of central Michigan, where he located in 1856. Alexander Kenney, father of Dr. Kenney was a 14 year old boy when the family moved to Michigan. Dr. Kenney was the youngest of five children, of whom only two survive, Lulu Dillenback and Earl Kenney.
Growing up at Saranac, Doctor Kenney was graduated from high school in 1895 and taught school for two years. In 1897 he entered the Ferris Institute at Big Rapids, Mich. Taking a college course, and in 1898 matriculated in the Detroit College of Medicine. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree in May 1902, and at once came to Kansas. He located at Norcatur and engaged in general practice from 1902 to 1910, when he came to Norton to engage in hospital work with Dr. Wm. C. Lathrop and Dr. C. W. Cole. In 1913 he was appointed superintendent of the tuberculosis sanatorium just being established by the state four miles east of Norton.
He was a member of probably all the lodges in Norton and Norcatur, as well as mayor of Norcatur from 1905 to 1907.
On May 20, 1904, he was married at Norcatur to Miss Lola M Corns, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. C. V. Corns. They were the parents of three children, Gary, Helen and Geraldine.
The family left Norton in April 1930, locating at Salina, where the doctor opened an office for private practice as a specialist in chest diseases. After several months there he was appointed director of the Henrietta Brown Memorial Research Association for the study of tuberculosis in various Kansas counties and the family located at Newton. The work there about completed he was transferred to Lyons. During all these years he was in demand as a lecturer on T.B. at colleges, teachers’ convention and fraternal societies.
Dr. Kenney died in a Newton hospital November 30 (Dec. 1) 1932, presumably of organic heart disease,– a very large man like him has fatty degeneration of the heart.
The services were held at the high school auditorium in order to accommodate the masses congregated – an appropriate setting, because that building had been reconstructed during his service as trustee . Burial was in the Norton Cemetery. Mrs. Kenney died January 4, 1950.