KEMP, PAUL AND NORMA (RODOCKER)

by Maxine Kemp Hazen

Entry F237 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society


Paul Kemp was adopted from the Chil-
dren's Home in Omaha when he was two
months old in the year of 1929 by Ben and
Agnes Kemp. He grew to be a young man,
attending the grade and High School in
Mullen, Nebraska and later went to York
College, Nebraska. Paul tsught the Sears
School in Cherry County up by Bull Lake,
northwest of Brownleee, Nebraska. He also
taught the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in Seneca,
Nebraska at their Grade School building
which was combined with the High School.

Paul married Norma Rodocker, May 12,
1951 of Halsey, Nebraska. He joined the
Army in May of 1951. After basics he took up
OCS at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was later in
the Medica in Korea and VietNam as a rescue
unit where he received the Purple Heart
Award. He was then sent to Lawton, Oklaho-
ma where he lived and trained boys for
Helicopter Flights. Later he went to Korea
and Japan, and also Alaska for a year and a
half He was in Oklahoma before and after
Alaska. Paul was teaching helicopter lessons
at the time of his death, caused by massive
coronary at the age of 38, in the year of 1967.
He was an Army major with the promotion
of Colonel after his death. He left to mourn.
two children, Pam and Dan and his loving
wife, Norma. Pam was only 13 years when her
Dad died and is now married to Steve Brown
from Broken Bow, Nebraska and now live in
Omaha. They have one boy named Danny
Paul, (to me he looks like his grandad Paul
and is a real go-getter.) Danny, Paul's son, is
also married to Laurie Tongdall, who taught
school at Bellevue, Nebraska and they are
now living at Atlanta, Georgia, where Danny
is a Computer Trouble Shooter. He travels all
over and loves it. Danny was only 11 years
when his Dad died. he has also served a four
year stint in the Army, but chose not to make
a career out of it like his Dad, Paul.