By: Ryan Duey

Keysha Chaney, Funeral Director at Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home (NSRFH) in Clay Center, presented to Clay Center Lions Club members during their weekly meeting on April 22nd. Chaney is the only female licensed Funeral Director to ever serve Clay County.

Chaney spoke to members on how she got into the funeral business, including being intrigued from a young age. She said that her original plans were to follow in the same path as many family members.

“To me, it was, I have to be a nurse. My mom’s a nurse, everybody’s a nurse. I worked in nursing homes, the death care part didn’t bother me at all, but I didn’t always do the greatest when it comes to the family, being there through that whole process.”

“So, I decided nursing is probably not quite for me, and thought, well, once the worst has already happened, I can definitely handle helping a family out, so that’s kind of really what spurred me to go in that direction.”

After deciding to move forward in the funeral business, she moved to Kansas City for mortuary school at Kansas City Kansas Community College, which is the only institution in Kansas that offers this field.

Chaney said a benefit she feels she brings to the Funeral Home as a female in a male dominated job is empathy and understanding.

“The only thing, because I am female, of course, is that my emotions can kind of go along with that a little easier. I have more empathy and sympathy than others. Not that they don’t do a great job, but I think I can relate a lot better because I’ve been in that situation.”

Chaney ended her presentation by taking questions from members on various topics, including schooling, handling the trials of the job, and other related topics. Chaney has been serving Clay County at NSRFH for ten years, eight years as a Funeral Director.