Pearl E. McKinley

Pearl McKinley, 96 died Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at the Elms Health Care Center in Ponca, Nebraska. Services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, December, 6, 2008 at the Ponca United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Sara Simmons officiating. Burial will be in the Ponca City Cemetery in Ponca. Visitation with the family present will be held at the Church from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Friday, December 5, 2008. Arrangements are under the direction of Mohr Funeral Home in Ponca. Pearl Ellen Randol was born June 18, 1912 in Holland, MN to Otta and Emma (Zook) Randol. She moved to northeast Nebraska the next year. She attended the lab school at Wayne Normal School, West Union country school and Wausa High School. In 1933 she graduated from nursing school in York, Nebraska as a registered nurse, and until 1942 she worked in homes as a private-duty nurse, making many enduring friendships, and in the office of Dr. R.E. Bray.Pearl married Wilford (Bill) McKinley of Ponca in 1937. The couple farmed for 3 years at the west edge of Ponca before moving to the farm near Ponca, where they lived from 1940 until 2002.Pearl worked as a registerd nurse at the Elms from 1956 until 1974, then continued her work as a health educator by teaching CNA classes. She was an active member of Ponca United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women, and she was a Girl Scout leader. Her lifelong interest in music led her not only to encourage her daughters in music, but to take piano lessons when she was 80.She is survived by 3 daughers, Carol (Joseph) Incremona of Stillwater, MN, Linda Kastning of Ponca, NE and Kathryn McKinley of Storm Lake, IA; 4 grandchildren, Elizabeth Incremona (Kurt) Bancker of Woodbury, MN, Catherine Incremona (Todd) Olson of Middleton, WI, John Kastning of Washington, DC and William (Kelly) Kastning of Ponca, NE; 9 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents; 7 brothers and sisters, Walter Randol, Ward Randol, Jess Randol, Mary Jane Hammond, Vena Durham Henrickson, George (Doc) Randol and Ruby Curry.