We are sad to report that long-time League member Margaret Kenney passed away on June 26, 2022.
Margaret was a charter member of our modern organization, which began in May of 1971. Her signature, as well as those of 40 other women, is on a document dated May 17 that was created to celebrate the launch of the local League which had been dormant since the Spring of 1966.
She became a board member in June 0f 1972, and that is when her name starts to appear regularly on historical records of the board meetings (official Minutes).
In August of 1972, she served as an Interim President after controversy over school reorganization left the local League without a president. She served in that role until a new president could be secured in November of 1972. Margaret then became Vice President.
In March of 1973, at a League board meeting, Margaret made a motion for the local League to sue the St. Joseph County Commissioners over the commissioners’ policy to allow the burning of leaves. The League held that such a policy was in violation of both local standards and EPA standards for air quality. The motion passed.
In April of 1973, she was named head of the Committee on Education. She chaired committee meetings as well as public forums on the topic of education in the South Bend schools. Records show that she directed studies on special education, the “street academy,” alternative schools and vocational education. In February of 1974, the committee added school transportation to its list of study subjects, and committed to looking at bus fares, schedules, routes, transfer systems and unserviced areas of Transpo as well as South Bend school buses.
She came off the board in May of 1975.
Margaret remained a member of the local League until her death.
You can read Margaret's obituary
here.