Robert "Bob" Kennish, Iii

Robert “Bob” Kennish  III passed away peacefully at his home at Lenoir Woods in Columbia, Missouri, surrounded by his family on Monday, November 18, 2019.

Bob was born in Holt County, Missouri on March 2, 1927, to Robert “Bob” Kennish II and Genevieve (Means) Kennish.  He was raised in the rural Mound City area and graduated from Mound City High School in 1945, where he excelled in football and basketball.

Bob married Laura “Jean” Cotton, the daughter of George and Hazel (Anno) Cotton, on August 8, 1948, in St. Joseph, Missouri, and the couple celebrated 71 years of marriage on August 8, 2019.  Jean survives at the home.

Shortly after graduation, Bob joined the US Army, near the end of WWII, and served for 26 months with the 11 ^th Airborne as a paratrooper, reaching the rank of Sergeant.  He served 13 months in Sendai, Japan, re-purposing a munitions plant into a jump school.  He returned home in June, 1947, and enrolled at the University of Missouri in Columbia that August. Bob was always very grateful for the opportunity to further his education by taking advantage of the GI Bill that he had earned by serving his country.  Bob always had great love in his heart for his country and his family.

After graduation from the University of Missouri with a B.S. in General Agriculture in 1951, Bob taught veterans in the Veterans on the Farm program.  In 1952, he started working for Farm Bureau Insurance as an agent and regional manager in Andrew county where he and Jean lived for 15 years and raised their family.  In 1967, they moved to New Bloomfield, where he worked as State Sales Director in Jefferson City.  From 1970 to 1974 he was Vice-President and Director of Sales for Capitol Reserve Life Insurance.  Bob also farmed from 1948 until his retirement.  In 1974, he left the insurance business to farm full time.

Bob was a lifetime member of the American Legion and the VFW, and was a member of the First Christian Church in New Bloomfield. Bob enjoyed watching football and basketball games and following the stock market.  He took great pride in buying a run-down farm and making it fully productive again.  He enjoyed visiting with anyone connected to agriculture.  Bob was a friend to many and will be missed.

In addition to his wife, Jean, Bob is survived by children, Dan (Mary) Kennish and Marilyn Barnard.  He is also survived by grandchildren, Jennifer Kennish  and partner Karen Fennell, Sarah (Mark) Hunter, Michael (Kristin) Kennish, Rachel Barnard, and Collin Barnard; his great grandchildren, Cooper and Rex Hunter, and Henry, Jack, and Grace Kennish; his sister-in-law, Gladys Reiman; as well as five nephews and nine nieces.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his parents-in-law; his sisters and their husbands, Kay (John) Bruner, Glendora (Lynn) Derr, and Darlene (Robert) Scott; brothers-in-law and their wives, Wayne (Virginia) Cotton, Jay Cotton, and Charles (Marjorie) (Mary) Cotton; sisters-in-law and their husbands, Ruby (Lester) Kurtz, Mary Alice (Osmer) Hornecker; and brother-in-law Charles Reiman.  He was also preceded in death by two nephews and a niece.

Visitation will be at the Chamberlain Funeral Home in Oregon, Missouri, on Monday, December 2, 2019 at 10:00 am, with a memorial service following at 11:00 am.  Internment with military rites will be at the Forest City Union Cemetery.

Memorial donations are suggested in lieu of flowers to the Agriculture Department at the University of Missouri (giving.missouri.edu), Missouri Hospice and Palliative Care, or to the local hospice of your choice.