Fern Carney

Funeral services for Fern A. Carney, 97, Lawrence will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, October 21, 2011 at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence.  Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence.  Fern died October 18, 2011 at Brandon Woods at Alvamar.

She was born on December 15, 1913 at Walnut, the daughter of Ernest M. and Ruby Fern White Schulz.  She was a resident of the Lawrence area most of her life.  She grew up northwest of Lawrence in a time when children had to walk to school.  She graduated from Lawrence Oread High School in 1930, where her walk one-way was equal to about 36 holes on a golf course.

Fern loved to read, garden and take care of her animals on the farm.  She never admitted she liked to cook but meals were always better in her kitchen. 

She was a floral designer for both Owens Flower Shop and Bill Nye in Lawrence for 40 years.  She and her husband also operated Duck’s Restaurant in Lawrence in the 1950s, a Pillsbury Feed Store in Lawrence and they operated a small farm in Jefferson County for many years.  Fern became the business accountant on an April 14 after Jesse exposed her to his system of cramming the receipts in one drawer.                         

In a scenario worthy of material she enjoyed in many romance novels, she rode a trolley from Lawrence to Tonganoxie on a Saturday excursion where a friend introduced her to Jesse James Carney.  They were married on May 3, 1930 in Topeka.  He preceded her in death April 2, 1999. 

Survivors include two daughters, Stella Lockard of Tecumseh, KS, JoAnne Connell of Shawnee, KS; two sons, Jesse L. “Buster” Carney, and Donald L. Carney, both of Lawrence, KS; eight grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren; and her caregiver, Paige Carney.  She was also preceded in death by her brother, Charles Ralph Schulz; sister, Virginia Hammer; and two half brothers, Ernest, Jr. and Bobby Schulz.

Family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until service time at the mortuary.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to Lawrence Humane Society or Gideons Society and may be sent in care of the mortuary.