Pearl Kephart

LENA PEARL KEPHART was born on October 27, 1928 to Willis and Mary (Bowie) Spaur in Bussey, Iowa. Pearl was the second child of five children and the eldest daughter. They lived in a very small two bedroom home which is still owned by a member of the Spaur family. They all continue to gather at their ancestral home for annual family reunions on the fourth of July. Pearl’s father passed away when she was just eight years old. As a result, Pearl did even more to help her mother and family throughout the years including cooking, cleaning, gardening, babysitting for others families for ten cents an hour and helping care for her own siblings. The Spaur family attended Bussey Nazarene Church where she and her sisters would often sing for services. Pearl graduated from Bussey High School in 1946. She then worked as a waitress in a small café in Knoxville, Iowa where she shared an apartment with one other girl. On June 21, 1947 she married Alvy Kephart. The couple lived for a number of years in Ottumwa, Iowa where they were blessed with the first four of their children. They purchased a small farm with a large farm house near Eldon, Iowa. There they were blessed with three more children. During these years, Pearl loved being a homemaker and helping out maintaining the farm. In 1973, they moved to Steen, Minnesota where Pearl took a job as a CNA for Mary Jane Brown Nursing Home in Luverne, Minnesota until her health forced her to retire. In 2002, a year after the death of her beloved Alvy, her children persuaded her to move to Luverne where she could be closer to family. She resided in this home until August of 2018 when she moved to the Good Samaritan Home in Luverne. Pearl took a fall and broke her hip on July 17, 2020. On Wednesday, July 22, 2020 Pearl went to her heavenly home while in the care of the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage at the age of 91 years, 8 months and 25 days.

Pearl was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne where she was involved in the Naomi Circle. Pearl loved to sing at church and especially enjoyed the older hymns. She also loved vegetable gardening and had an abundance of good food to share with her family. She enjoyed watching Hallmark movies and feeding the squirrels and birds. Her faith and her family were first and foremost in her life. Pearl had a sweet disposition and was a gentle soul, humble and hardworking. She took great pride in her grandchildren and loved watching them grow up. She was always a mother at heart who took care of the needs of her family.

Pearl is remembered by her children, Cathie Miller of Plattsmouth, NE, Danny (Evelyn) Kephart of Luverne, Carol Kephart of Mankato, MN, Randy Kephart of Luverne and Cynthia (Mark) Kurtz of Luverne; 10 grandchildren; 9 step grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; 1 great-great grandchild; many step great-grandchildren; her sister, Julia Kerr of Oskaloosa, IA; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Alvy; infant daughter, Mary Joanna Kephart; son, Alvy Eugene, Jr; infant granddaughter, Jody Marie Kephart; and her parents.