Charlene.htm
 


Charlene (Kobs) Keen
Classmates of
Meade High School, 1956 		 
 
 
  NAME: CHARLENE (KOBS) KEEN

 
 

Charlene was born in Meade and attended all 12 grades at the Meade Public Schools. She attended Fort Hays State College the year following graduation from Meade High School in 1956. Since then she has worked as a secretary for Wilson & Beard, Attorneys at Law in Meade; as a secretary for Ford Motor in Lewis, Kansas; as a bank teller in the Meade Bank; as a bank teller in the Lewis Bank; and farmed with her husband.

Charlene has lived in Meade, Fellsburg and Trousdale, all in Kansas. She has been active in her community; being a 4-H community leader for 6 years, a 4-H Horse Project Leader for 15 years, and Church Education Chairman for 20 years.

She married Kenny Keen in 1957. They have one son and three grandsons. They retired from farming in 2003. Charlene enjoys riding horses, gardening and golfing. Her skills are exemplified by her 1967 Championship in Barrel Racing at the Kansas State Fair. Kenny and Charlene continue to travel to Arizona for the three months of winter where they take their horses and enjoy riding, roping and golfing.

 
 


Charlene and Ken at the 50th MHS Class Reunion

 
 



 
  The Greensburg Tornado 1 Year Anniversary
Other towns out of spotlight
BY BECCY TANNER The Wichita Eagle

 
  Kenneth and Charlene Keen's home near Trousdale was destroyed by the tornado that leveled Greensburg. The Keens rebuilt their home with insurance money, and moved in in January.

 
  KenCharlene They lost everything, too.
Their homes.
Their livelihoods.
A church.
A brother.

In the days and weeks after an EF-5 tornado roared through Greensburg, hundreds of people outside the town began to piece their lives back together, too. They were in the path of a storm system that spawned 20 tornadoes over three days. But they were out of the spotlight that followed. They didn't get air time on national TV or a massive outpouring of donations from across the country.

 
 

Kenneth and Charlene Keen hunkered down in their basement the night of May 4.
The tornado that had hit Greensburg, 30 miles to the south, was headed their way. It was expected to hit Trousdale at 10:37.
Kenneth Keen waited until 10:45.
Nothing happened. He wanted to go upstairs. His wife said to wait.
At 10:47, the tornado slammed into their home. When there was silence, he went upstairs. The bouse was gone.
The next morning, 30 neighbors showed up to help them salvage whatever could be retrieved.
The next night, the Keens lost their church, Trousdale Methodist, and four uninsured circle irrigation systems.
The irrigation systems cost nearly $200,000 to replace. Kenneth Keen ended up taking out a loan through Farm Credit to pay for them.
Still, he is grateful for how life has turned around.
Their church with about 35 faithful attendees has been rebuilt with $100,000 raised by the tiny community.
The Keens rebuilt their home with insurance money, then held church services there after they moved in in January.
Keen says all of this matter-of-factly, without bragging.
"We've come back real good," he said. "We got a new house and have planted 54 trees. And after all of that, we still raised pretty good crops."

NewHome

Kenneth and Charlene Keen's home near Trousdale was destroyed by the tornado that leveled Greensburg. The Keens rebuilt their home with insurance money, and moved in in January.

Reach Beccy Tanner at 316-268-6336 or btanner@wichitaea9.Ie.com.

 
   
Dean Eckhoff nde@cox.net LCP Press