Mary Ann Kearns Kimberling

Mary Ann Kearns Kimberling, 100, passed away Tuesday afternoon, September 2, 2025, at Morningside Center in Chillicothe, where she had resided the past 2 1/2 years.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 6th at the Jamesport United Methodist Church with Rev. Mike Tipton officiating. Burial will be in Jamesport Masonic Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m, Friday, at the Stith Funeral Home in Jamesport. Friends may call after Noon on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Kickin' Cancer with Kindness in care of the funeral home

Mary Ann was born on June 24, 1925 in Casper, WY, the daughter of Walter E. And Leona Specht Kearns. She grew up in Casper where she attended school and graduated from Natrona County High School in 1943. During her early elementary years, she and her two sisters, Esther and Kathryn performed for many social events in Casper. She was the church organist for the Presbyterian Church in Casper. At the age of 4 she begged her parents to take piano lessons and she succeeded in learning the piano as well as the French Horn. She played with around 1200 students in her high school orchestra.

After graduation she was employed with the U. S. Weather Bureau at the Casper Airport. At that time she met Army PFC Wayne Max Schroll of Hutchinson, KS who was stationed at the Air Force Base near Casper. They were married on February 22, 1945 at the First Presbyterian Church in Casper. They were the parents of two sons, Dennis and Terry. Wayne was killed April 4, 1948 in a stalled PT-23 war surplus plane that crashed near the Hutchinson Municipal Airport. He was the with his instructor who was also killed. 

In 1948 she moved to Jamesport where her parents were residing to help with the “The Jamesport News”.  A few years later she met a local widower, Lewis Kimberling, who had a farm 5 miles south of town. They were married February 6, 1952. With Mary Ann’s two sons, and Lewis’ three children, Janet, Natha and Ronald, they became a blended family. With five children to take care of, Mary Ann left the newspaper to help with the farm and family. Being on the farm was a new experience for her as she hadn’t been on a farm. On February 28, 1953 Phillip was born and on May 22, 1962 their daughter, Rebecca was born.

Following the death of her father, Mary Ann returned to the printing business to help and Lewis soon joined her. Together they became editor and publishers of the Jamesport paper.

Mary Ann was a member of the Jamesport United Methodist Church,  sixty-eight year member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Bethany Shrine #13 Order of the White Shrine. 

She is survived by children, Terry Schroll and his wife Dianna of Ft. Meyers, Florida; Ronald Kimberling and wife Penny of Kansas City; Phillip Kimberling and wife Bev, of Galt; Janet Spencer and husband Leon of Trenton, Natha McAllister, and Rebecca Lang and husband Kim of Jamesport; 13 grandchildren; great grandchildren; great great grandchildren; and one great great great grandchild; two sisters, Kathryn Gervais of Sarasota, FL and Shirley Pruitt of Orlando, FL; 2 brothers, Pat Kearns of Gravois Mills, and Walter Kearns of Albuquerque, NM.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; her son Dennis Schroll; two sisters, Esther Rainey and Georgie Dawkins; one brother, Bob Kearns; a grandson, Darrell Spencer; and granddaughter Carma Kimberling.

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