Katherine A Earnest Obituary (1927 - 2016)

Katherine A. Earnest, 89, of Lincoln, left us peacefully on September 2, 2016. She was born on January 8, 1927 to Constantine "Gus" and Asimina "Anna"(Pappas) Kourmeles in Chicago, Illinois.Katherine graduated from Walworth High School, Walworth, Wisconsin in 1945, and entered nurses training at Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago, graduating in 1949 as a registered nurse. She was married to Paul Albert Emil Earnest on October 21, 1950 in Chicago and resided there. Nursing was her passion. She worked in IL, NE, CA, and at a refugee camp in Thailand with Cambodian refugees fleeing the Pol Pot regime in the 1970's. Her nursing ranged from Hines VA Hospital, UNL Student Health and many jobs in between. She was a natural born nurse.Katherine is survived by her daughter Susan (James) McMahan, Paul Earnest (Lori Wagner), of Lincoln, Jon Earnest (Teri Rocha) of Hanford, CA and her brother George Kourmeles (Chicago, IL). Her grandchildren love her dearly, and include Jake (Sara) McMahan, Roseanna McMahan (Robert Williams), Paul Colin (Kathleen) Earnest, Brandon (Sarah) Earnest, Nicole (Sean) Hansen, Scott Earnest and friend Kate Fiedler. Great grandchildren Ian Williams, Aidan Williams, Elayna McMahan, Caleb Kyes, Ethan Kyes, and Annabel Hansen were her joy. They called her Gigi, for Great Grandma. She is also survived by cousin siblings Demetra (Joseph) Morrow, Knoxville, TN, Tryphone Avros, Chicago, IL and Sylvia Buonaiuto, Chicago, IL. Katherine was preceded in death by her husband Paul in 1966, her parents, the aunts & uncles who raised her in Chicago and Wisconsin after her mother died in 1937, and many cousin siblings. Memorials may be directed to the family for later designation.