By MARY JEAN HADLEY KERNODLE Jan. 21, 2020

Mary Jean Hadley Kernodle of Truth or Consequences joined her beloved husband, Norman, in the Lord’s presence early Tuesday morning, Jan. 21, 2020 at age 90. She passed while holding her oldest son’s hand as he sang her favorite song, “Jesus Loves Me.”

Mary Jean was born the second of three children to Indiana farmers, Fred and Fern Hadley. Farming and the Depression shaped her into a get-it-done dynamo; yet, she was outgoing and loved to tease.

Norman knew when he spotted the attractive young woman in the bright green dress that she was the one he would marry. After a very short courtship, they married and moved to Albuquerque where Norman finished his engineering degree. Then, they moved to Los Alamos where they stayed and raised their boys until well after Norman’s retirement, excluding a brief move back to Indiana. Eventually, they moved to Truth or Consequences.   

Mary Jean is survived by sons Alan (Alice), Gary (Cathy) and Rex (Kathy), grandchildren Dawn Marie (Victor) Maldonado, Danelle (Jason) Byrd, Catherine (Michael) Zalanka, and Brooke Kernodle and great grandchildren Arianna, Raymond, Olivia, Juniper and Winifred. She also leaves a wide circle of people whose lives she has deeply affected by her “adoption.”

Mary Jean’s ashes were joined with Norman’s in the Columbarium at the south end of the Veterans Memorial Park, 996 S Broadway, Truth or Consequences, A memorial service for Mary Jean and Norman will be held at 11:00 a.m. at the Columbarium March 6, 2020.

An additional service for Mary Jean at the Christian Church of Los Alamos, 92 East Road, Los Alamos, New Mexico will be held 4 p.m., Sunday, March 8, 2020.

The family requests that donations go to NIMA (New Iberian Mission Association), PO Box 15133, Las Cruces, NM 88004-5133 nima@missionoffaith.org.