Christine "Chris" Anne Kemp

Christine Anne Kemp (Chris), aged 70, of Kenesaw, NE passed away on November 24, 2021, at Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings with her loving husband at her side. A memorial service will be held at 11 A.M. on Saturday, December 11, 2021, at the Apfel Funeral Home Chapel in Hastings, NE. Inurnment will be held at a later date. Memorials may be suggested to family to be designated at a later date. Apfel Funeral Home is serving the family.



Chris was born on September 1, 1951, in Greely, Nebraska to Kenneth and Kathleen Hartley. Chris married the love of her life, Glenn, in 1974 and had two children, Sara and Rick. Chris attended the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center and served as a reserve officer first with the Hastings Police Department then with the Adams County Sheriff's Office. When her children were older, she followed her passion for education and earned a Master’s of Science in Education and Speech Language Pathology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1992 and began working at ESU 9. She went on to work for Hastings Public Schools before opening a private pediatric clinic alongside friend Karol Pickerill. Chris retired from private practice but was enticed back into work at the Blue Hill developmental preschool. She retired again at the end of the 2020 school year to spend more time with her beloved granddaughters. The impact she made on the lives of her students cannot be overstated, she continued to stay in touch with students and always received a great deal of Christmas cards.

Chris’ passions included tending her rose bushes, sewing, and good coffee but all were eclipsed by her love of family. She spent as much time with her granddaughters (whom she referred to as her ABC girls) as she possibly could. Time spent with them could include anything: late night brownie batter feasts, all day crafting marathons, board games on the floor, or chalk parties in the driveway just to name a few.



She is survived by husband Glenn, daughter Sara Mooney (Jeremy), son Rick (Laura), 3 beloved granddaughters (Addison and Bailey Kemp, Charlotte Mooney), brother Alan Hartley (Dorothy), sister Susan Wilkinson, and sister Cindy Sadler (Myron).



Chris was preceded in death by her father Kenneth Hartley, mother Kathleen Hartley (nee Thornhill), father-in-law William Kemp, mother-in-law Lois Kemp (nee Burr), granddaughter Caydence, nephew Patrick, and great-nephew Colton.