Harold and Elizabeth Kehne’s legacy helps college students pursue careers in schooling |
Harold and Elizabeth Kehne were longtime educators in Frederick County. You have positively influenced countless students and believed in the power of education to help shape the lives of young people.
A fund in her memory of the Community Foundation of Frederick County honors her legacy by supporting students with career paths similar to her.
Mr. Kehne graduated from Frederick High School and served as a medic in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a skilled mechanic who owned Kehnes Citgo on 13th Street and East Street in Frederick, where he specialized in overseas auto repairs. He later sold his business and attended the University of Maryland College Park, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education. He then taught at middle schools in Middletown, West Frederick and New Market before retiring in 1986.
Always involved in his community, Mr. Kehne continued his love of agriculture in retirement and was an active member of Golden Tones, the Senior Chorus of the Frederick County Recreation Council, the Frederick County Retired Teachers Association, and the American Legion Francis Scott Key Post 11.
Ms. Kehne was a graduate of Frederick High School and State Teachers College at Towson (now Towson University). She later earned a masters degree from the University of Maryland College Park. She was a tireless advocate of students with special needs and taught in several Frederick County schools for more than three decades. She spent most of her career teaching at Rock Creek School, from which she retired in 1986.
Like her husband, she was active in the community, serving on the Frederick City Recreation Council and volunteering as a tutor with the Literacy Council of Frederick County.
In 2015, David Kehne and husband Robert Funk, along with the Community Foundation, established the Harold D. and Elizabeth S. Kehne Scholarship Fund to honor the memory of his parents. The purpose of the fund is to award scholarships to graduates of Frederick High School or the Gov. Thomas Johnson High School pursuing careers in education. Preference is given to students attending Towson University, the University of Maryland College Park, or an expansion campus from these educational institutions. Since the fund’s inception, he has helped students pursue careers in education, just like the Kehnes have.
The Kehnes had a strong work ethic, believed in serving others, and knew the value of education in making young people independent citizens. The Community Foundation Commemorative Fund recognizes her work as educators and the work of her colleagues in Frederick County. It will help ensure that students pursuing careers in education are supported for generations to come.
Editor’s Note: The Community Foundation of Frederick County, MD, Inc., is a nonprofit that brings together people who care about important causes. It works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to realize their charitable intentions through educational scholarships and grants to nonprofit organizations. To learn more about the Community Foundation, visit www.FrederickCountyGives.org.
