Kay Childers

Kay Sondra Schriener Childers was born on July 18, 1934 in Lincoln, NE to Agnes Mae Ella Packard Schriener and Frederick Leslie Les Schriener. She was baptized in the German-speaking Zion Congregational Church in Lincoln, NE. Kay was an only child.

She moved with her parents to Denver, Co in 1937 at the age of 3 years.

Kay attended 3 elementary schools in Denver, Co: Thatcher, Berkeley & Dora Moore. She attended Morey Jr. High and graduated in 1952 from Denver's East High School. Kay attended The University of Colorado for 1 year where she pledged Delta Gamma Sorority and served as its Freshman Class President.

During her senior year at East High, she met Marvin "Marv" Childers, who was in his sophomore year at the University of Denver. Marv also was a graduate of East High School, class of 1950.

Kay began her working career while still a high school senior. She worked part time at the Rocky Mountain news, a newspaper she had grown up around, since her father, Les, had a 10 year career at the News which began when Kay was 5 and until she was 15, at which time, her father founded Capitol Engraving Co., which was to become Colorado's largest photoengraving company. Kay continued working part-time at the News while in school and then full time in1953, when she was offered a position as an advertising account representative.

Kay and Marv were married May 17, 1955. Marv had graduated with a Degree in Business from Denver University and entered the U.S. Army. Kay and Marv moved to Chicago in 1955, where Marv served at 5th Army Headquarters. Kay worked for the Chicago Sun Times newspaper in advertising.

In 1957, after being discharged from the Army, Marv and Kay moved to Lincoln, NE where Marv continued his education until 1961, when they returned to Denver.

During the years between 1957 and 1961, Kay worked as a copywriter for KLIN Radio and KOLN-TV in Lincoln. It was during this time that she began on-air broadcasting and discovered she had a gift for voice-over character voices, which she would, in the years to come, use to create fairy tales to the delight of young listeners.

Kay became a mom, her most cherished and loved 'job', in 1962, when she was blessed with the birth of her son, Todd Cameron. In 1965, her 'Little Lu-Lu' Marla Kay, was to bless and complete Kay and Marv's family.

In 1963, Kay was asked to join the on-air staff of KHOW Radio in Denver. She assumed the on-air name of Kay Howe and was hostess for a 1 hour, 5 day week morning show
where she interviewed daily guests including Debbie Reynolds, Harve Presnell, Jimmy Stewart, George Peppard and Sidney Poitier, among others. Kay resigned her on-air position at KHOW to be a full time mom at the time of Marla's birth.

During the next few years, Kay free-lanced doing radio and television commercials. She also was one of a small group of community-minded young women who started and developed the now-famous PBS KRMA TV Channel 6 Auction in Denver.

At the invitation of its owner, Kay joined the staff of J.F. Images Talent Agency in the early 1970's. Among her duties was that of Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA Talent Agent, representing many of Colorado's top actors and models. Kay was a SAG/AFTRA actress, a full figured fashion model and taught TV-film acting classes for children.

In a career that spanned 50+ years, Kay was at home in newspapers, advertising agencies, TV & Radio stations, talent agencies and fashion runways, but most of all, she loved being at her typewriter/computer creating and writing "Mrs. Plumjoy's Place", a national award-winning children's series, airing nationally on library access TV. Kay also wrote and produced a children's series of dramatized fairy tales for radio: selected stories from "Mrs. Plumjoy's Place" Fairy Tales were also used by the Denver Public School District in a test program to teach kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students listening skills.

In her quest to provide funding for anti-child abuse organizations, Kay worked to offer her fairy tales for sale on CDs and to publish Fairy Toes in book form.

In her later years, Kay took on one more very important 'job', that of Grandmother to Blake and Deanna- the lights of her life- as she would call them. She took such joy in being an important part of their lives, and her home was their second home.

Kay was preceded in death by her husband, Marv Childers, her parents, Les and Agnes Schriener and is survived by her children, son Todd Cameron Childers, daughter Marla Kay Childers, daughter-in-law Elizabeth Joan Childers and her grandchildren, Blake Skramstad and Deanna Lynn Childers.

She will be greatly missed, but will be forever loved in the hearts of the many people whose lives she touched. For Online condolences, please visit www.csccares.com

Donations in honor of Kay's memory may be made to: The Kempe Foundation or the Sierra Club.

Memorial Service for Kay Sondra Schriener Childers will be held Wednesday, July 10 at 10:00 am at Greenwood Community Church 5600 E. Belleview Ave, Greenwood Village, Co. 80111. Reception to follow service.