HARTINGTON — An award that’s been given annually since 1962 in memory of the Omaha Diocesan Council (OACCW) founder was awarded to Linda Kerkman of Elgin on Monday, September 15.
The Mullen Award was announced at the annual OACCW Convention and awarded to an active OACCW member after being nominated and then selected. This is given to a woman who is outstanding in her service to family and community, active in “Council” at the archdiocesan, deanery and parish levels; and involved in civic affairs, educational groups and groups of other faiths.
Linda’s service included being a Lector, EHMC, Sacristan as well as officers at Archdiocesan and deanery levels and attending several National Council of Catholic Women conventions. She has been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She also supports seminarians spiritually and financially. Other active areas include:
• Volunteering at Orphan Grain Train and has unwittingly mentored many of her fellow sisters in Christ, encouraging them to leadership, service and spirituality, leading OACCW spiritually for several years.
• Made numerous presentations at retreats, workshops and conferences. She is a great story-teller.
• Has served as the OACCW Pre-Convention Gathering Toastmistress.
Kerkman herself initially believed God was calling her to be a nun and in the journey of discernment, then realized she could better serve God by becoming a nurse, wife and mother – which she did. With her husband LeRoy they raised four children.
She is also an Oblate of the Benedictine Monastery in Norfolk.
One of her projects was making children’s chasubles and habits as a way to plant a seed of openness to a life in a religious vocation. She’s made blankets for the Christ Child Society, an organization which Mrs. Mullen served as President twice; and Linda has made more than 1200 diapers out of T-shirts for missions. One of her biggest contributions to her community and so many others is the fruition of a vision she had.
She spent hours rehabbing a vacant business into a non-profit thrift store: The Bargain Box in Elgin which has become a well-known destination. After several years, she turned over the leadership of this store and with the help of many volunteers, the Bargain Box has been able to donate almost $800,000 in monetary donations to many near and far organizations and medical causes …. and all she was envisioning was enough money for diaper postage.
….see more at this week’s Elgin Review.
