Mary Louise (Short) Kenyon

An angel came and took away the pain; put her arms around her and took her home…

After a courageous and hard fought battle with cancer, on August 28, 2015, Mary Louise (Short) Kenyon, peacefully passed away with her sons by her side.

Mary was born on April 24, 1933, to Willard and Nora (Hirsch) Short. Mary was her parent’s third child, she was raised with an older sister, Barbara Short (Johnson), an older brother, Don Short, and a younger brother, Jim Short.

Mary was raised on the south side of Des Moines, attending Park Avenue School and Lincoln High School. She later moved to 54th and Aurora and Cottage Grove to raise her family.

As a young woman, Mary worked for LOOK magazine and was a cook for various restaurants. She was also employed as a caregiver to elderly women. After her children were older Mary was the motel manager at the Blue Bird Motel for many years. But her most important job in life was raising her children. Mary enjoyed spending afternoons working in her flower garden, cooking and baking cakes for her family, and of course her nightly chocolate shake.

Mary was married first to Howard Whitten. She was later married to Don Kenyon on November 2, 1962.

Mary was the mother of 11 children, and all of her kids were proud to call her mom. Her children are Dennis Whitten, Melvin Whitten, Michael (Connie) Whitten, David (Michelle) Whitten, Betty Whitten, Carl (Debi) Smith, Kelly (Michele) Kline, Bill (Mechelle) Kenyon, Dan, Dale and Doug Kenyon. Mary was a loving and wonderful grandma to 29 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. In February, she was happy to welcome her first great great-grandson.

Those preceding Mary in death, were her parents, all of her siblings, both husbands, Howard and Don, her sons, Dennis and Melvin, daughter, Betty, and grandson, Jared Smith. Those left to cherish her memory are her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law, Judith Short and Ruby Short, good friends, Monty Lovell and Joel and Gina Mundt, many nieces and nephews and many friends.

Through her life, Mary enjoyed happy times with her family but she also dealt with struggles and pain. It was through these times that the family learned to face difficulties head-on with both grace and love. She never gave up on any of her children. She encouraged them to make the most of their lives and do what is right. Toward the end of her life’s journey her son, Dan, summed it up best. At her bedside he said, “Mom, you’ve had a long happy life and at times it’s been hard. Now it is time for you to go up there and get your big reward.” XOXO.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery, 1 NE 60th Ave., Des Moines, with visitation from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Ave. in Des Moines.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the family in loving memory of Mary.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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