The funeral service for Julie Kennedy, 60, of Marshall, will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Marshall.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the church.  A luncheon will follow the service at the Horvath Remembrance Center in Marshall.  A private family interment will take place at a later date.  The Horvath Funeral Service in Marshall is handling the arrangements.

Julie LaNet (Miller) Kennedy was born on September 28, 1961, in Marshall, to Lennis and Sharron (Moen) Miller.  She was baptized at First Lutheran Church in Marshall, and confirmed at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Aberdeen, SD.  While attending school in Aberdeen, she made close friends and enjoyed time riding and training horses.  Midway through high school, Julie moved with her family back to Marshall where she made lifelong friends and graduated from Marshall High School in 1979.  Julie was married to Kevin Kennedy on September 20th, 1980, and to this union was born son, Lennis.  Kevin and Julie made their home in Houston, Chicago, and Columbus and enjoyed strong friendships and traveling.  Julie moved home to be closer to her family in 1989.   After returning home, she attended Southwest State University for a teaching degree and worked in Marshall and the surrounding communities as an early childhood teacher and child advocate.  During this time, Julie met James Atkins Sr. “Harry” in the spring of 1992. They moved onto their hobby farm later that year. To this relationship was born daughter, Ashley, and son, James Jr. “Hambone”. On July 24th, 2010, Julie and James Sr. “Harry” were united in marriage. Julie was passionate about her family. She enjoyed going on trips with all of her children. She especially enjoyed her trips to Cocoa Beach, New Orleans, the Blacks Hills, and to the Jordan Candy Store. Julie loved the springtime, where she would buy mallard ducklings for her children and grandchildren to raise on her hobby farm.  She enjoyed spending time in her yard, gardening, her pool, picking dates with her family on when the Robins would return in the spring and making annual spring trips to local nurseries for pickup loads of trees, plants and gardening supplies.  She also enjoyed decorating her home, antiquing and motorcycle rides.  She was most passionate about children including hers and those with whom she worked.  She enjoyed spending time with her family at holidays and special occasions, especially Christmas baking days.

After a brief illness, Julie died unexpectedly on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.  She is survived by her husband, James Atkins “Harry”, of Marshall, son Lennis (and Kristi) Kennedy of Lynd, daughter Ashley Atkins (and Andrew Deuschle) of Avoca, son James Atkins Jr. “Hambone” (and Morgan Hansen) of Marshall, grandchildren Ethan and Ella, parents Lennis and Sharron Miller of Marshall, siblings Debbie (and Todd) Blomme of Marshall, Gwen Paradis of Green Valley, Daniel (and Jen) Miller of Rapid City, mother-in-law Pat Atkins of Lake Wilson and aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her grandparents Leona and Ceylon Moen, Edith and Rueben Miller, uncles Larry Miller and Rodney Moen and father-in-law Harry Atkins.