Constance Kinney

CONSTANCE KINNEY

Iowa City

Constance Joan Kinney, 62, of Iowa City, passed away Friday, Sept. 12, 2014, after a prolonged battle with Parkinson's disease. Visitation will be Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lensing Funeral Service in Iowa City. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Iowa City, followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.

In lieu of flowers and plants, the family encourages donations to Iowa City Hospice or Parkinson's Research (www.michaeljfox.org).

Connie, along with her twin sister, Cindy, was born Feb. 16, 1952, in Williamsburg, Iowa, the daughter of Josephine and Martin Beer. The family moved to Iowa City in 1954. She attended City High School, graduating class of 1970. She attended Marshalltown College after graduation from high school and then took a job with Owen's Brush (later Oral-B, then Procter & Gamble), where she worked for 38 years until the time of her Parkinson's diagnosis.

Connie married Edwin John Kinney on June 18, 1976. Connie had four children, Jessica, Steve, Sarah and James.

Connie was a devoted mother, spending her life at baseball and softball games, soccer games, gymnastics meets, track meets, football games, Girl Scout meetings and trips, Boy Scout activities, college visits, and much more. She loved thrift stores and garage sales, quilts, crocks, Beanie babies, and everything concerning her children.

She enjoyed visiting her daughters in Boston and touring the New England countryside; she loved the beach.

She was a faithful and considerate daughter and sister, aiding her family on every occasion. She was a gardener and loved tending to her yard and flower garden.

She will be remembered for her love of her family and her tenderheartedness for all living creatures. She will be remembered as a wonderful grandmother, for early morning diner breakfasts, and especially for her Christmases. Decorating, shopping, baking, wrapping and gift-giving – the holiday season was especially loved by Connie.

She always took care of her kids. Connie was a Giving Tree; she kept giving even when there was nothing left to give. She will be missed.

Survivors include her husband, Edwin; her parents, Martin and Josephine Beer; her children, Jessica Kinney, (grandson Charlie), Stephen Kinney (daughter-in-law Kelly, grandson Everett), Sarah Kinney and James Kinney. She also was survived by her twin sister, Cindy Beer, and her brother, Theodore Beer.