Luella Jane Doherty

LUELLA JANE DOHERTY (N´EE BEFORT), 84, died Tuesday, June 17, 2014, at her home in Lenexa, Kansas, shortly after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Luella was born in Hays, Kansas, on November 27, 1929, to Alois G. Befort and Katherine E. Befort, and is preceded in death by her siblings Laverne ("Vernie"), Viola, and Alois Jr., Mary Lou, and Leroy James. She was baptized into the Catholic faith at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hays, Kansas. After the family moved to Kansas City, Kansas, in the 1930's Luella attended St. Anthony's elementary school and Bishop Ward High School, graduating in 1947. She worked briefly as an accounting clerk before marrying her high-school sweetheart, Patrick E. Doherty, on September 6, 1952. Pat died on August 27, 2011, and Luella lovingly cared for him in his last illness. Luella is survived by her eight children James M. Doherty and his wife Susan, Patrick M. Doherty and his wife Teresa, Maureen A. Huppe and her husband Mark, Daniel E. Doherty and his wife Mirian, Timothy M. Doherty, Sheila A. Barmby and her husband Gavin, Sean M. Doherty and his wife Julie, and Colleen A. Kolich and her husband Bill, her 37 grandchildren, and their 22 great-grandchildren. All of her children attended St. Joseph grade school and high school in Shawnee, Kansas The first seven of her children she bore between January, 1954, and August, 1960, handily beating the one-child-per-year pace. Her youngest, Colleen, arrived in 1964. Her son Jim notes that during much of this time she had three babies simultaneously in diapers. Let's say that each needed changing three times a day. That would come to 3,285 changings per year at its peak-and all with cloth diapers, mind you. This in addition to preparing over 1,000 meals per year, ironing, keeping house, and doing the books. All this she did with love, good humor, and great skill. After her children were raised, Luella took up tennis and golf. She had a wicked serve, and she greatly enjoyed her weekly golf outings with the St. Andrews ladies. Luella counted off-spring like some men count coins. You could be forgiven if, on first meeting her, you mistook her for a census taker: "I have 37 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren," she would say, with the implicit challenge, "try topping that!" One of her grandchildren, Mag- gie Kolich, said "grandma was not just a grandma, but a true and good friend." And Luella could celebrate Christmas for her family like no one you've ever met. Let's just say that now may be a good time to short Hobby Lobby stock. Luella ended her life as she started it: in the friendship of Jesus Christ and in an unwavering love for His Church.

A wake will be held for Luella at Amos Family Funeral Home in Shawnee, Kansas, Friday, June 20, from 5 to 7:30PM, with a rosary at 6:30PM. Her funeral Mass will be at Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Saturday morning, June 21, 10AM, with burial at Resurrection Cemetery afterwards.

The family requests that any memorials be made to Catholic Charities.