Alta Louise (Wharton) Kinman

Alta Louise (Wharton) Kinman passed away on the last day of her 101st year.  Alta was born August 16, 1920, in Lee County, West Point, Iowa, to Estella Marie (Seyb) Wharton and Willis Miranda Wharton. She was baptized on April 3, 1921, at Memorial Presbyterian Church, Maple Grove, Iowa, and confirmed on March 25, 1934, at St. Peter’s Evangelical Church, Franklin, Iowa.

Alta graduated from Donnellson High School, Donnellson, Iowa, on May 21, 1937, and from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, Burlington, Iowa, May 1941.   She was first employed as a registered nurse at Sacred Heart Hospital, Fort Madison, Iowa, and worked briefly in a doctor’s office in Carthage, Illinois.  Alta then served as a surgical nurse in Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois.  In June of 1958 she helped open a 160 bed hospital, McDonough District Hospital, in Macomb, Illinois, where she retired in September 1985 after 44 years of nursing.  She worked as an obstetrics nurse, night supervisor, assistant director of nursing, and Medicare coordinator.

Alta was married to Kenneth Kinman on April 16, 1959. 

She was a charter member of Western Chimes Chorus, a chapter of Harmony International Women’s Barbershop. In 1989 Alta moved to New Haven, MO, to be closer to her sister, Doris Bergey, brother-in-law, Rev. August Bergey, and their extended family.  While in New Haven she was a member of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, where she was active in the Women’s Fellowship, the church choir, and the St. Peter’s Quilters.  Throughout her lifetime she excelled at all types of needlework—cross stitch, knitting, crochet, needlepoint, and quilting.  Her interest in quilting intensified when she came to New Haven and over her years she pieced more than 100 quilts and quilted on hundreds more.  The St. Peter’s Quilters donated quilts to the Missouri Festival Of Sharing and the Emmaus Home Auction, and their quilts often brought top dollar at the auctions.  She made quilts for her stepchildren, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, for friends and many others.  Many new babies received a quilt made with love by Alta.

Alta was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Kinman, stepson George Kinman and wife Joyce, stepson Richard Kinman and wife Denise, step grandson, Matthew Kinman, sister Doris Bergey, brother-in-law, August Bergey, and sister-in-law Dorothy Kinman.

She is survived by nephew, Barry Bergey and wife Jean, nieces, Colleen Kuhn and husband Gary, Brenda Thompson, and Christine Meyer and husband Eric, stepdaughters, Judith Kinman and Becky Brooks, 7 step grandchildren, 10 step great grandchildren, 4 step great, great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held Friday, August 19th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Toedtmann & Grosse Funeral Home, New Haven, Missouri.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, New Haven, Missouri, with Rev. Dr. Dan Smith officiating. 

Graveside services will be Monday at 1:00 p.m. at Elvaston Cemetery, Elvaston, Illinois. Memorials may be given to St. Peter's U.C.C.