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Nancy Josephine Kennedy, 88, of Sandy Hook, Miss., died Oct. 19, 2019, at the Collins Mississippi Veterans Home. She was born Nov. 18, 1930, in Watford City, N.D., to the late Luemma Taylor Reitan and Luther Henry Reitan of Waubun, Minn.

She graduated from Waubun High School, Class of 1949. On Nov. 7, 1949, she enlisted in the Air Force for four years. She loved her work in the Air Force as a Tabulating-Machine Operator and the Rank of Corporal. She was very honored to be able to work in the Pentagon. But soon while attending Computer Training in the State of Colorado, she met the Air Force “Mississippi man,” Joe Glen Kennedy of Sandy Hook, and she eventually married Aug. 1, 1951. He was also in Colorado for Computer Training. She had to give up the career she loved, for the man she loved. At that time, you couldn’t be married and in the military.

Nancy is survived by two children, Daniel M. Kennedy (Alena Kennedy), and Kathleen Kennedy Yates (R. Adrian Yates); two siblings, Carrie Reitan Wetter (Ronald Wetter), and Henry Reitan (Carol Reitan); seven grandchildren, Melissa Kennedy Martin (Ronald Martin), David Monroe Kennedy (Gillian Jones Kennedy), Rachel Kennedy Sgroi (Jon Nicholas Sgroi), Eric Reitan Kennedy (Elizabeth Brewer Kennedy), Lisa Carpenter, Konstyantyn Morozyuk, and Leeza Manning; six great-grandchildren, Maxwell Monroe Kennedy, Darek Nathaniel Kennedy, Dominic Kennedy Sgroi, Vindante Kennedy Sgroi, Evangeline Christine Martin, and Veronica Wren Martin.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Glen Kennedy; brother, Louis Reitan; and sister, Jean Marie Goff and parents.

Visitation will be held at Zion Lutheran Church in Bogalusa on Friday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral service, followed by the burial at Briarwood Baptist Church Cemetery at Stateline.

A special thank you from the Kennedy family to the many caregivers who provided care and friendship to her throughout the years. We would like to acknowledge her St. Joseph nurse Kristin Smith and Chaplin Tracey Hopps; the Collins Mississippi State Veterans Home crew of Nurses, CNAs, and those who made sure she had clean clothes to wear, a clean room, good food, activities for her day, drove her to appointments, or security for the VA home; and, the special caregivers and lifelong friends Dianna Wascom and Sandra Garner.

She loved her roommates Ms. Florence and Darcy. “Fancy Nancy” says she will be hanging out in heaven until you get there. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Zion Lutheran Church or the Veterans OutReach Charity Organization of Collins, Miss.