Kenneth Greenwood

Kenneth Charles Greenwood, passed away at his home surrounded by his family on September 22, 2025, at the age of 88. He was born November 23, 1936, to Albert William and Rose Ethel (Boon) Greenwood, in Utica, NE. He graduated from Utica High School in 1954. After high school Ken attended barber college in Omaha, NE. Following, he began working at Aden‘s Barber Shop in Beatrice. By 1963 the shop became Ken’s Barber Shop which he operated until 2001. In addition, he sold insurance for Woodman Accident and Life, worked for Store Kraft and Cominco/Agrium. Following the closing of his barber shop he continued cutting hair for some loyal customers and family. He gave his last haircut in 2023.

Kenneth married Mary Jane Cullen, January 24th, 1960 at the Holmesville’s Church of the Brethren. They raised their three children, Susan, Steven and Julie in Beatrice, NE. Ken was a supportive husband, father, and friend, who always prioritized his family and work. He had a way of incorporating work, play and life lessons into everything he did. Some idioms that echo in the minds of his family include: “If you open a door, shut it. If you borrow something, return it...”, “If it’s worth doing it’s worth doing right.”, “You can never save a lot of money. You can only save a little money a lot of times.”, “You don’t HAVE to go to work. You GET to go to work!”, “People are funny, they buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, to impress people they don’t like.” His positive influence will remain with us forever.

His passion for helping others extended beyond his family and work. He was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church for more than sixty years. He served in the National Guard for 7 years, was an active member of the Local, State, and National Barbers Associations and UCT. For 37 years, Ken assisted scouts from Troop 221, ushering at Husker football games. He was a past member of Junior Chamber of Commerce, Masonic Lodge, Cottonwood Beach Club, and Hidden Acres.

Kenneth is survived by his wife, Mary Jane, his children, Susan (John) Clausen, Steve (Lisa) Greenwood, and Julie (Jeff) Collins, foreign exchange daughter Virginia (Gina Reedy) Gray and husband Brent and their family in Australia, grandchildren Andrew (Amy) Greenwood, and Phillip Greenwood; Joseph Clausen, Jessica Clausen, Valerie (Alex Hancock) Clausen, and; Crystal (Caleb) Swanson, Daniel, Nathanael (Brianna) Collins, Janelle, Joanna, Christina, Hannah, Joshua, and Elizabeth Collins; great-grandchildren Jayden Clausen, Sawyer and Dawson Hancock, Joyce and Noelle Collins. He is preceded in death by his parents, sister, Rose Mary (Darold) Smith, brothers Albert Greenwood, Richard (Verdayne) Greenwood, and an infant brother.

Visitation will be held on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 1-8:00 PM, at Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel, 708 N. 6th Street, with the family greeting friends from 6-7:30 PM. A family prayer service will be held at Centenary United Methodist Church on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 9:45 AM, followed by the funeral service at 10:00 AM. The church will livestream the service. Interment will follow at the Evergreen Home Cemetery in Beatrice. A memorial has been established to the family's choice for future designation with the funeral home in charge.

We encourage those who knew and loved Kenneth Greenwood to share their memories and upload photos to the memorial page at www.ghchapel.com. Each shared memory or photo is a testament to the significant impact that Kenneth had on those around him, serving as a gentle reminder of his generous, loving, resilient, and supportive nature.

These services have been entrusted to the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice.