Hannibal-LaGrange University recognized the annual alumni award winners during the 2021 Homecoming Entertainment on Saturday, October 2. The Outstanding Service Award was presented to Ilda Kennon ’67. This award is given to Hannibal-LaGrange graduates who have given outstanding service to the University or their community through involvement in civic endeavors, religious leadership, or philanthropic efforts.
Ilda was born in Mexico, MO and grew up on farms in Audrain County. The summer after she graduated from high school, she trusted in Jesus for salvation. She says, “I don’t remember how I ended up at HLG, but it was the perfect place for me as a new Christian. Through a Christian roommate, friends, and teachers, I was grounded in the faith. The years spent at HLG (junior college at that time) were two of the best years of my life. Those years at HLG really set the course for the rest of my life.”
After graduating, she moved to the area where she now lives, Pevely, MO, to teach school. She joined Sandy Baptist Church, Hillsboro, where she has been a member for over 50 years. She completed her bachelor degree at UMSL and earned an MAT from Webster University. She taught for 30 years in Jefferson County schools, mostly in the Dunklin R-5 district.
In 1970, she married Darrel, who was also a teacher. They have two sons and two grandchildren. They spent many summers traveling to western states, then all over the U.S. and in Canada. They enjoyed seeing the beauty God created and places of historical interest.
When the Lord called Ilda into short-term mission trips, she retired. She took her first trip to Kenya in 1999, where she fell in love with the country and people. When she started going, little did she know that she would make eight more trips. She says, “I could have walked forever over the hills of Kenya telling people about Jesus!” The Lord also blessed her with trips to Europe, Central and South America, and Asia, where she participated in a variety of mission work.
Ilda says, “Most people start their mission work at home and branch out. My experience was the opposite.” After that first Kenya trip, she began to be involved in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria projects. During retirement, she has been involved in trailer park ministry, a hospital volunteer and on-call chaplain, and jail ministry, as well as serving at church and in her association. Her church was greatly involved in MO Disaster Relief for many years. She served with the shower and laundry units and with the chainsaw unit. Their group made three trips to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She also served one week each summer for ten summers with 3MT, Mid-MO Mission Teams.
Ilda also served as an HLGU trustee from 2000 to 2009. After several years, she returned to the board in 2017. “It is an honor to be able to give back to the university that I love so much,” says Ilda. “How it thrills my heart when current students at HLGU testify about how God brought them to this campus and express the same love for the University that I have! Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings to me!”