Rosemary Richartz was born and reared on a dairy farm near Walla Walla, Washington. After the family moved to Umapine, Oregon, she attended the Umapine Public Schools, graduating as valedictorian from Umapine High School.

After graduation from Oregon State University and dietetic internship at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, she combined her professional career and her love of travel. Home base was always Portland, Oregon. No matter whereshe traveled, she always returned to Portland where she worked as a dietitian at various times, at St. Vincents Hospital, Beth Kaiser Hospital, University of Oregon Health Science Center, University of Oregon Dental School, Emanuel Hospital, and at the U.S. Veterans Medical Center both in Portland and at the Vancouver Division.

Enjoyable work was found in Casablanca, Morocco; Denver, Colorado; Walla Walla, Washington; Los Angeles, California; and Corvallis, Oregon. The high points of Rosemary's career were working for the Indian Health Service Hospital at Fort Defiance, Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation, and at Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia. On one of her return trips to Portland, she married Albert Kenney, former president of GSOC. They combined their interests of geology, paleontology and travel.

She always had an interest in geology, but it began in earnest when she attended a night course at Portland State University taught by Dr. Ruth Hopson Keen. That sparked motivation to attend more and more classes. She joined GSOC in 1962 and has served the society on the Refreshment Committee and held offices of Librarian and Secretary, in addition to President.

Our fifty-fifth President took an early retirement in 1989 to enjoy life without the interference of work.

Historical note from Carol Hasenberg in 2024:

Rosemary also maintained her contact with GSOC quite well in the years prior to the COVID pandemic. She hosted all the GSOC board meetings for many, many years. During the first 10 years or so of my stint as GSOC newsletter editor (2000-2020 and now the archive document post 2020), Rosemary was the newspaper publisher and indexer, and you can still see those indices printed on her old dot matrix printer in the January newsletters from that era. She also did some volunteer work at DOGAMI and PSU.

She moved to Newberg with her friend and companion, GSOC member Jan Kem, in the fall of 2022. She passed away peacefully on May 5, 2024, after a period of declining health.

To read more about Rosemary’s life, go to the GSOC tribute written after her death.

Albert Richard Kenney, Sr., was born on December 7, 1913, at Reuben, Josephine County, Oregon, the eldest son of James Peter and Opal Harlin Kenney. Reuben then was a "whistle-stop" on the Southern Pacific Railroad and is no longer in existence. With the responsibility of a child, his father had just given up gold mining as an occupation for that of a railroad employee which offered a more reliable income.

Albert received his grammar school education at Metzger, Oregon, and was graduated from Tigard Union High School at Tigard, Oregon. The depression prevented him from using the science scholarship which he had received. As an alternative he pursued his interest in the natural sciences by attending night school whenever he could. The depression further directed his steps to the CCC Camps where again he was in contact with the natural world.

Albert moved to Portland and became an employee of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Here he married Laurette Wheeler and together they reared three sons, Albert Richard, Jr., Charles Harlin and Robert Roland. Their first date reflected their interest in science for she took him on a tour of the museums and animal department of the University of Oregon Medical School upon which campus she was employed. During a portion of World War II Albert was in the service of the U.S. Army and was stationed at Camp Wolters, Texas.

After the war, prompted by the desire to rear their children outside of a city and their love of the ocean and marine zoology, Albert and Laurette moved to Netarts, Oregon. While living at the coast, Albert searched out the Astorian fossils up and down the coast.

While living at Netarts, Albert went into the employment service of the State of Oregon at Tillamook. The office was adjacent to the Chamber of Commerce. Learning through this office of Camp Hancock, he volunteered and served as counselor for three consecutive summers. It was through the contacts there he learned of and joined the Geological Society. He had served as President of the Tillamook Rock Hounds, the one local society that approached his interests.

Albert tells this story of the incident which kindled his interest in geology. With the advent of the Model T. Ford, touring became a vogue. His parents became addicted to this mode of recreation. They would bundle their four offspring into the Ford and away they would go. It happened at the Oregon Caves. As children were not permitted on the tours of the caves at that time, Albert's parents instructed him to take care of his brothers and sister while they made the tour. It was very evident that Albert was disgruntled. A lady noticed and as an effort to pacify a heart-broken boy, she directed his attention to fossils which were in a nearby bank. This kindled an interest that never waned.

As his predecessor, Leonard Delano, had instituted the practice of pursuing a theme for his term of office which was photogrammetry, Albert chose the Geophysical Provinces of Oregon.

President Kenney instituted the first President's Camp-out which was a week long caravan trip through the Steens Mountains. The banquet for 1964 was the first to be held at Portland State College, now Portland State University.

Historical note from Carol Hasenberg in 2024:

Albert Kenney married Rosemary Richartz in 1972 and the couple moved to Australia, where Rosemary worked as a dietician at the Royal Adelaide Hospital until 1979. Then she and Albert returned to Portland, where Albert died in the mid-1980’s. Rosemary Kenney then became GSOC President in 1989. Rosemary died in 2024 at the age of 97.

Past Presidents

1989 President Rosemary Richartz Kenney

Geological Society of the Oregon Country (GSOC)

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