Antoinette "Toni" Mary Kennedy

Antoinette Mary "Toni" (Montegna) Kennedy passed away on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Rock Creek Senior Living in Ankeny. Funeral services for Toni Kennedy will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, in Ames, and will be followed by burial at Ames Memorial Gardens. Visitation for Toni Kennedy will be held from 9:30 AM until 11:00 AM on Thursday. Antoinette Mary was born on October 22, 1940, to Carlo and Beulah (Taylor) Montegna in Centerville, Iowa, where she was raised and educated, graduating from Centerville High School. Following graduation, Toni worked as a nanny for a family in Centerville for a time. Toni was united in marriage to Don Kennedy on September 12, 1964. The couple made their home in Kelley, Iowa, where they raised their four children. The family relocated to Cambridge, Iowa, for a time, before returning to Kelley in 1978, where they continued to live for their entire married life. Don passed away on December 15, 2011, and Toni remained in Kelley until moving into Rock Creek Senior Living in Ankeny just a few months ago. Toni thoroughly enjoyed gardening, both the vegetable and ...[more]

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flower varieties. In earlier years, she was known to do some canning of her produce. She also loved watching birds, and her yard had several bird feeders and bird houses. She was an accomplished cook and baker, especially when it came to lasagna, cookies, and kumla, on special occasions (whenever Don requested it). She branched into baking bread following the gift of a bread machine, and shared bread with friends and family, including weekly deliveries to her son, Kevin, who she somehow determined was in love with her bread loaded with star anise, a spice that overpowers everything else with black licorice flavor. Toni was very artistically inclined; she loved working with ceramics and doing pencil drawings. She was also a voracious reader of anything, mostly health and cookbooks. She spent time on the road with Don, while he was trucking. She was known to be an expert in tarping loads on the semi-trailer. Most importantly, Toni loved her family, especially her kids. She also formed special bonds with her caretakers and fellow residents in recent months. They will remember her for being an outspoken and quick-witted prankster with a great sense of humor. Likewise, she was a very faithful, God-fearing woman. Toni is survived by her children, Kevin (Wanda) Kennedy of Kelley, Carol R. Kennedy of Des Moines, Catherine (Duane) Carpenter of Slater, and Anthony Kennedy of Ames; her grandchildren, Sabrina R. Kennedy, Angelina R. (Stephen) Shaffer, McKenzie Alvarado, Shanae M. Carpenter, and Shane D. (Kelcie) Carpenter; 7 great grandchildren; her sister, Patty Ann Kennedy; along with numerous nieces and nephews, other family members, and friends. Toni was preceded in death by her parents; her stepmother, Madge Montegna; and her siblings, Mary Angelina Mikels, Margaret Josephine McLary, Monelle Owenson, Esther Hansen, Donnie "Danny" Montegna, Paul "Poncho" Montegna, Charles Montegna, and Jimmy Montegna.