Hannelore Adela McKernan

Hannelore Adela McKernan passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on 07 March 2018. She was born on 08 March 1928 in Mannheim, Germany to Heinrich (b. 12/20/1887) and Emma Rosa Fritz (Goller) (b. 01/11/1901) of the Protestant faith. At age 11 Hannelore went to work on a family friends farm where she worked long hard hours during the war. At 17 she attended school to study retail sales and passed a thorough exam that required extensive knowledge detailing everything from where spices originated and what their benefits were to sales. She also worked in her Aunt's grocery store after the war. Hannelore's mother Emma Rosa Fritz remarried to Wilhem Ziegler (b. 04/15/1911). In 1951 a skinny young American G.I. who entered into the Army service on 10/22/1948, was staring through a fence at a local pool and a year later Master Sergeant Patrick J. McKernan, Jr. (b. 5/21/1931) from 790 Amsterdam Ave., NYC, married Hannelore in the Chapel at Kitzigen, Germany by the Reverand Paul J. LeBlanc on 11/08/1952 (8/9/1952). Hannelore's sister Gisela and her mother Emma were both in attendance. Patrick and Hannelore left Germany to their new duty station in Fort Meade, Maryland. They were welcomed by her husbands family with open arms and their was often competition trying to understand each other with one side bearing a strong Irish brogue and Hannelore's gentle German accent. Patrick's family, his father Patrick J. McKernan, Sr., mother Mary Clare McKernan (Grimley), his twin brother Peter Henry (b. 5/21/1931), and sisters Margaret and Mary Pauline took a quick liking to Hannelore and each of their families spent every opportunity to be together when they could. On September 4, 1953 Patrick Peter McKernan was born in the base hospital at Fort Meade. They transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Hannelore became a naturalized American citizen (No. 7693551) on 8/3/1956, and, their second son, Bryan Dean McKernan was born on July 3, 1957 (8 lbs/7 oz) in the U.S. Army hospital. Four years later on March 25, 1961 (9 lbs/3/4 oz) Timothy Michael McKernan was born at the Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, Oklahoma. Hannelore supported her husbands rise from Private to LTC and raising their three sons while he was deployed to Vietnam and then back to Germany for their final tour. After their Army service and retiring to Pearl River, New york, Hannelore worked as a housekeeper for a 20 years, often walking the 7 miles to work each way. They finally decided to move to Pensacola, Florida where Hannelore liked to visit the beaches and calmly watch the surf and beautiful sunsets. She devoted her life and gave her unconditional love to her family especially her husband Patrick who died on Saturday April 24, 2004. She loved the simple things in life especially her garden (Opa Willy's past time) and watching the droves of Cardinals, Finch, Sparrows and Mourning Doves in her feeders. She was a quiet, reserved, and patient mother who lived her life in the devotion of her faith and who never raised her hand or voice in anger. She will be deeply missed and was deeply loved by all. She is survived by her sister Gisela (m. Adelfried Foll and nephew Holger and niece Silke) and brother Eberhard in Germany. Her sons Patrick (m. Vicki) of Knoxville, TN., Bryan (m. Debra) of Pensacola, FL., and Tim (m. Carol) of Tampa, FL. She lived for and loved her growing family of 11 grandchildren (Jonathan, Jason, Paul, Christine, Matthew, Jenna, Julia, Bryan, Sean, Christopher and Kaitlyn) and 4 great-grandchildren (Georgia, Millie, Malone and Maverick). Of all the gifts that life has to offer a Mother's love is the greatest gift of all. She still is, and will always, simply be the best. If Roses Grow in Heaven By Dolores M. Garcia If roses grow in heaven, Lord please pick a bunch for me, Place them in my Mother’s arms and tell her they’re from me. Tell her I love her and miss her, and when she turns to smile, place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for awhile. Because remembering her is easy, I do it every day, but there’s an ache within my heart that will never go away.

Tributes

Hannelore Adela McKernan

March 8, 1928 - March 7, 2018