Kay Frances Friend Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Clay Center resident Kay Frances Friend, 76, passed away June 18, 2019, at Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings, NE. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, June 22, 2019, at the United Church of Christ in Clay Center, NE with Rev. Ethan Feistner officiating. Interment will follow at the Clay Center Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., at McLaughlin Funeral Chapel in Clay Center, NE. Memorial contributions may be directed to the family to be designated later. Kay Frances Ryser was born on June 16, 1943, in Brewster, KS to Ruth and Edward Ryser. She lived with her four brothers and five sisters in Ames, KS attending a one-room schoolhouse. Kay graduated from Clyde High School in 1961. She met her first husband, Benjamin Doupnik while working with a combine crew during harvest. They were married on September 9, 1961, while Ben was still in College. They moved to Lincoln, NE, then Louisiana, and then Georgia. Three children were born during this time before they moved back to the Midwest settling down in Clay Center, NE to raise their children. Here they became an active part of the community. In 1995, Ben passed away. Kay was involved in Community Club and various social clubs. She served as a scout leader and was on the volunteer EMT squad for over 25 years. Kay was employed as the executive director of the Clay Center Housing Authority in Clay Center for many years until her retirement. Kay was one of the founding members for the Crooked Creek Golf Course and had served as a board member from 1993-2016. Kay loved spending time with family and friends. She was very generous of her time and attention and loved entertaining. She met Marvin "Buck" Friend in 2008. They shared common interests in traveling and watching grandchildren in various extra-curricular events. Kay and Buck were married at Fort Walton Beach, FL on September 4, 2009, surrounded by family and friends. They loved traveling and enjoyed annual trips to the beach and Arizona. Kay loved family and welcomed Buck's daughter Cheryl Bennett, her husband Russ and their two sons, Nathan and Jeremy as members of the family. She enjoyed lunchtime with her grandson Dallas (DJ), always thinking about what she would fix. She shared her love of art and games with her entire family. Kay is survived by her husband, Marvin "Buck" Friend of Clay Center, NE; daughter, Melissa Leypoldt and husband Jim of Lincoln, NE; sons, Cory Doupnik of Quincy, FL; and Dallas Doupnik, Sr., and wife Shirley of Harvard, NE; four grandchildren, Kylie Doupnik and Dallas Doupnik Jr., of Harvard, NE; Benjamin Leypoldt of Lincoln, NE; Beth Leypoldt and Chester Muiu of Lincoln, NE; three great-grandchildren, Aderha Leypoldt, Cairo Muiu, and Charlize Kay Muiu all of Lincoln, NE; sisters, Lisa Koch of Mission KS; Melody Hanchett (Leland) of Phillipsburg KS; Linda Hammans (John) Augusta, KS; and brother, Mark Ryser of Tacoma, WA. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Dale, Ted, and Wendell; sisters, Karla and Rita; her first husband, Benjamin Doupnik and grandson Alexander Leypoldt.

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Kay Frances Friend

June 16, 1943 - June 18, 2019