Kay Allen Hendricks. She Was A Big Sister To Two, Plus; She Was An Aunt To Some; She Was A Friend To Many… And She Was A Worthy Adversary To A Few. But Her Most Prized Title Was That Of “Mother, Mom, Mommy.” Before She Became Any Of That, However, Kay Was The Firstborn And Only Daughter Of An Amazing Couple. In The Mid-Day Hours Of December 28, 1950, Alice Jo Gardna Gave Birth To And Benjamin Grover Donahoe Welcomed Their Baby Girl Kay Frances Donahoe, Weighing Seven Pounds And Twelve Ounces, Into This World.

Though She Didn’t Tell Her Six Children Everything About Her Childhood, Kay Never Held Back Any Praise For Her Father. A WWII Marine That Served At Iwo Jima And Then Became A Truck Driver, Yet Never Cussed Nor Took A Single Sip Of Alcohol, Nor Did He Allow Any Of That Near His Family. She Loved And Respected Him, As Her Mother Did Too. She Reminiscently Spoke About Family Trips They Went On With Her Younger Brothers Buddy And Gerald. Both Alice And Benjamin Loved Their Daughter, Even After She Once Stole Their Car For A Joyride As A Teenager, An Uncle With SAPD Stopped That Quickly. She Had A Wild Side, A Fire That Burned In Her, And Excitement For Life — Even From An Early Age. She Passed Some Of That Fire On To Her Six Natural Children And Influenced Many Others. Each And Every One Of Them Inherited Something From Their Mother, If Not In Physical Appearance, Then In Spirit Or Both. Praise GOD For That Blessing.

Kay Also Looked Up To Her Mother, As She Would Follow In The Footsteps Of Alice, In Becoming A Registered Nurse And Then On To Get Her BSN. She Worked In Hospitals, Psych Wards, Geriatrics, Non-Profit Health Services Groups, And Even Prisons As A Nurse. She Stood Her Ground, Knew The Rules, Regulations By Heart And She Wasn’t One To Be Trifled With By Patients, Inmates, Or Otherwise.

Though She Loved Thanksgiving And Would Even Cook For Over A Week To Get Ready For The Entire Family, As Well As Had Each Of Their Favorite Dishes To Serve, All Were Filled And Leftovers Sent Home To Devour. Christmas Was Always Her Favorite Time Of Year When Everything Was Wonderful For Kay And Her Family. After Becoming A Mother, She Would Put On The Biggest Christmas Holidays. Her Children Levi, Buford, Cody, Gerrod, Everett, And Cheyenne Would Help With Decorations And Lights. Kay And Her Husband Would Take Care Of The Presents, Even Take The Family Out To The Hill Country To Cut Down The Tree, Cook Majestic Foods, Then Buy Or Build More Decorations. She Spared No Effort Or Expense In Ensuring That She Brought The Joy Of The Winter Holiday To Her Family, As Had Been Done By Her Parents To Her. Outside Of Holidays, Kay Loved Family Gatherings. Smoking Oysters On A Large Barbeque Pit, With Family Sitting All Around In A Circle Was A Favorite For Her. She Loved Being Surrounded By Those She Loved And Those Whom She Was Loved By.

She Cared Deeply For Her Babies, But Not Only Humankind. Kay Certainly Loved Her “Fur Babies” Dearly. Her Love For Rabbits Took Off In The 1990’S, With Her Son Gerrod’s Rabbit “Pringles.” Her Love For That Type Of Animal Would Eventually Lead Her To Founding The Retired Rabbit Sanctuary With Her Husband Kyle In Aug Of 1998. For Over Two Decades, They Rescued Over 8570, She Helped Run And Operate The Sanctuary, Which Would End Up Expanding To House More Than Just Bunnies, But Also Chickens, Dogs, Cats, Birds, Horses, Donkeys, Cattle, And Other Abandoned Exotics. All Of Which In Her Honor Will Continue Into Perpetuity, With The Help Of So Many Others, Her Husband, And By The Grace Of GOD. Though She Loved Every Dog She Ever Had In Life. She Became A Police, Military, & DOD Dog Trainer Earlier In Life, And She Loved German Shepherds Most During Those Times. Some Of Her Final K9 Companions Were JR, Picard Sr., China Doll, Starleana, (Her Bodyguard). The Last Dog To Keep Her Company In This World Was Her Fur Baby Pipa Jenne Louise, Who Guarded Her To The Very Enth Degree.