Maudean Hollingsworth Kearney

Maudean Hollingsworth Kearney, 87, of Centerville, Arkansas, passed away December 14, 2012, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Little Rock Arkansas. The daughter of Floyd Addison and Idell Mosley Hollingsworth, Maudean was born on March 28, 1925 in Burns, Mississippi. As a teen, she moved to Mobile, Alabama where she worked repairing parachutes for the war effort. In June of 1945 she returned to her Mississippi home where she enlisted in the Navy. After attending Hunter College in nursing, she achieved the rank of Seaman Second Class. She was a member of the WWII era group known as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). During this time she traveled to New York City for some R&R. There she met her future husband Al who was also there on leave from New London Naval Base in Groton, Connecticut where his submarine was being refitted.

She and Al traveled extensively, working in commercial fishing in Florida, cotton farming in Mississippi, and traveling around the world in the course of her husband's military career, which spanned WWII, the Korean Conflict, and Viet Nam. She was active in various service groups including NCO Wives and Girl Scouts. After Al retired, they moved back to Mississippi, to be close to family.

Mrs. Kearney was a lifelong member of Bethel Baptist Church in Burns, Mississippi. She worked as Loan Operations Administrator with the Farmers Home Administration in Raleigh, Mississippi. She was a member of American Legion Post 22 in Burns Mississippi, and was the Southern Area Vice Commander for the state of Mississippi. She was also a Worthy Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star.

In 2011 Maudean was honored by the Salute to Freedom Committee for being the oldest living female veteran of World War II in Pope County.

She was preceded in death by her husband Allan Perry Kearney, parents Floyd Addison and Idell Hollingsworth, four sisters, Bessie Russum, Tressie Willoughby, Christine Craft, and Elna Ruth Puckett, and four brothers, Wilson, Willis, DeWitt and Odell Hollingsworth. She is survived by her sisters Fannie Mae Keys of Brandon, Mississippi, Maxie Shavers and husband Roy of Fort Payne, Alabama, a son, Perry Kearney, his wife Kathy, a daughter Denise Kearney Harvell, her husband Robert and a granddaughter Kristen Kearney and her fiance Aaron Scruggs, all of Russellville, Arkansas. In addition, she leaves behind her caregiver, Paula Lowrey.

Visitation will be held from 2 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, December 16 at Humphrey Funeral Service. Maudean will be laid to rest with her husband Al at the Arkansas State Veterans cemetery at North Little Rock, Arkansas in a private military ceremony on Tuesday, December 18, 2012.

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