Burtis E. Aufenkamp

Burtis E. Kennedy was born to James and R. Loray Kennedy on September 3rd, 1931, in Salem and grew up in the Barada Hills. She graduated from Nemaha High School. Education was such a high importance for herself, her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. She took enough college classes to teach at Boatman Rural School with 18 students in 9 grades. Later on, she took classes and worked for a time at H & R Block.

She married R. Dell Aufenkamp in August 1952. Dell and Burtis just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. They honeymooned in Niagara Falls, even though she got motion sickness on the way. After four months of being married, Dell was drafted into the Army and stationed in Austria. Burtis got permission to join him and flew 5 different planes to reach Vienna, where they lived for a year and a half and welcomed their first child Ginny. After returning home to the farm, they had three more children – Joy, Karen Sue and Arlin.

Burtis didn’t have a driver’s license until after she was married and went on to get a motorcycle, a grain truck, school bus, and even a private pilot’s license, flying a Piper Cherokee. She was active in International Flying Farmers, flying to many state meetings and reigning as state queen. As a 99er (an International Organization for women pilots), she painted the elevation on top of a hangar at the Auburn airport, which is still there today.

Burtis farmed right along-side her husband, milked the cows with the children by her side, raised chickens, and did all the planting and spraying on 400 acres one spring when Dell had back surgery. She loved watching the corn grow and looked forward to climbing up in the combine to ride alongside Arlin and Ryan.

She made sure everyone was special and greeted them, always requiring a hug and sharing a sweet treat. She remembered everyone and everything in each picture she ever took. She loved her family, the grands, and the greats, with the baby always being her favorite. Each time a grandkid or great grandkid was born, she always made sure she counted their fingers and toes to make sure there was 10 of each. And gave out plenty of birthday spankings.

She was the ‘fixer’ of all things and she could clean anything and everything.

Dell and Burtis found so much love in travelling, many of their vacations involving road trips with the motorhome. They spent many winters in Arizona visiting her brother, spent 90 days traveling to and around Alaska, and multiple trips to Mexico. They found so much joy and pride in owning their lake properties at Big Lake and Lake of the Ozarks where they shared their love for the water with their beautiful family. Much to the surprise of the grands, she water-skied until she was way over 60.

She shared so many wonderful traditions. One that stands out most was the Christmas card tradition. Each year Burtis and Dell would send each family member a Christmas gift with a thank you card that they expected to receive before Christmas morning. They would open the cards on Christmas morning in the order they received them. That way they felt they were ‘opening’ the gifts with the family.

Burtis had a GREAT sense of humor. Her family could talk her into doing just about anything, as long as she had the first sip!

Burtis was a kind and gentle woman who loved spending time with family and friends.

On Friday, September 2nd, 2022, Burtis passed away surrounded by loved ones, just one day before her 91st birthday. She was preceded in death by her parents and heavenly great grandbabies.

Those left to mourn her passing include her husband Dell of Auburn; children and their spouses Ginny (Del) Novell of Johnson, NE, Joy (Rick) Redden of Kearney, NE, Karen Sue (Tim) McCutcheon of Casper, WY, and Arlin (Diane) Aufenkamp of Brownville, NE; grandchildren and their spouses Adam (Megan) Novell, Jason (Andrea) Novell, Lee Redden, Kerri (Sean) McDermid, Ben (Tiffany) Jones, Whitney McCutcheon, Ryan (Bailey) Aufenkamp, April (Matt) Joy, Amber (Christopher) Ryan, Amy (Trace) Gumb; great grandchildren Owen, Kyler, Nina, Nicklynn, Taryn, Samara, Jason, Jackson, Zola, Tucker, Aria, Joslyn, Brady, Andi, Wesley; brother Donald (Elinor) of Frederick, CO; other relatives and friends.

A funeral service will be Wednesday, September 7, 10:00 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Auburn. Burial will be at the Nemaha Cemetery in Nemaha. Visitation will be at the funeral home Tuesday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with family greeting friends 6:00p.m. to 8:00pm.

Memorials are suggested to St. Paul Lutheran Church or Nemaha Cemetery.