Mrs. Sarah Kathern Ramsey, 83, of Nicholasville, passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by her loving family on Sunday, May 29, 2022. She was born on February 5, 1939 at Bimble, the daughter of Jim Tom Broughton and Myrtle Mills Broughton.
Her father was a coal miner and she was very proud to be called a coal miner’s daughter. On Sept. 6, 1958, she was united in marriage to Kenneth Lee Ramsey and to this union four children were born. She attended Duke University in Durham, N.C. and graduated from Union College in Barbourville in the class of 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education. Her first teaching job was teaching all eight grades in a one room schoolhouse at Jeff’s Creek in rural Knox County. After that inauspicious beginning as a teacher, the family moved to Danville, where her last two children were born. She was an avid genealogist who did extensive research on her and her husband’s family ancestries and histories. She went to the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, Utah where she discovered a wealth of information on genealogy. All this was shared with other members of her family tree. She organized an annual family union for both families for over 30 years. She then moved to Lexington and became the office manager for Ken Ramsey Realty. She literally ran the show keeping up with all the paperwork for 29 sales people. After hours she found time to be a Cub Scout Leader and Girl Scout Leader. She enjoyed going bowling with her girlfriends every Thursday night. The outdoors was her favorite place. She belonged to the Blue Grass Iris Society and won many blue ribbons. Other favorites were her day lilies and roses. Her passion was her love of animals, especially dogs, cats and thoroughbred race horses. She had cats in every barn on the farm. She enjoyed all her beautiful flowers and raised a garden every year and canned a lot of the produce. She traveled all over the world. One of her favorite trips was to watch her horse run in front of the Queen at Royal Ascot in London, England. A second was a tour of the Holy Land. She once caught a 54 pound salmon in Alaska and enjoyed camping out and boating on the lake. She was also a committed racing and breeding enthusiast and an avid reader. As a partner with her husband, she has won more races in the state of Kentucky than any other owner in the history of the sport. She was in the Union College Business Hall of Fame. Kathern was a member of the Southern Heights Baptist Church. She believed in higher education and has been a driving force in encouraging her family to succeed. Most of all she was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother who dearly loved her family. She will be sorely missed.
She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Kenneth Lee Ramsey; three sons, Scott Keith and Karen Sue, of Lexington, Jeffrey Kent and Patricia Esther and Kelly Grant and Lisa Michelle all of Nicholasville and a daughter, Jill and Kenneth; a brother, Bradford Broughton and wife, Jo Allen, of Artemus; six grandchildren, Rebecca Ramsey Papadinis and Jeremy of Massachusetts, Kathern Elizabeth Ramsey of Lexington, Nolan Grant Ramsey and Kathryn Lynn of Dania Beach, FL, William Kenneth Ramsey of Jeffersonville, IN, Stephanie Esther Ramsey of Nicholasville, Kera Michelle Ramsey of Nicholasville; two great granddaughters, Ella Paighton Papadinis of Massachusetts and Emily Kathryn Ramsey of Dania Beach, FL; a brother-in-law, Keith Allen Ramsey and wife, Dean; a sister-in-law, Lou Ann McElvain and husband, Patrick, of Fleming Island, FL. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews to mourn her passing.
Her funeral service will be conducted at the East Barbourville Baptist Church, 279 Old US 25, Barbourville, Saturday, June 4 at 2 P.M. with Rev. Ricky Broughton, Rev. James Vandy and Rev. Ricky Partin officiating. She will be laid to rest across the street in the Barbourville Cemetery.
Casket bearers will be David Dwayne Broughton, Kenneth Adams, William Nelson Bingham, Henry Edward “Eddie” Miles, Bryon Ramsey, Jeremy Papadinis, Nolan Grant Ramsey, William Kenneth Ramsey. Honorary bearers will be Don Lane, Joe Vice, Jim Elam, Evy Hopkins, James “Stiffy” Miles, Kenneth Campbell, Stanley Lawson, Mark Partridge, Jack Fisher, Dave Hooper and Robert H. Perkins.
The family would like to offer a special thank you to Dr. Connie Jennings who not only gave her exceptional care but became a cherished personal friend. Thanks also go out to Dr. Sara S. Sallee and Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital for all their care.
Friends may call at the Kerr Brothers Funeral Home, 3421 Harrodsburg Rd., Lexington Thursday, June 2 between 6 and 9 P.M., at the Knox Funeral Home, 325 Knox Street, Barbourville Friday, June 3 between 6 and 9 P.M. and also at the East Barbourville Baptist Church Saturday, June 4 after 12 Noon until the funeral hour.
Local arrangements are under the direction of the Knox Funeral Home.
Send a condolence to the family of SARAH KATHERN RAMSEY.
For questions about our obituaries or condolence service, please contact us. You may reach us via e-mail at knoxfuneralhome@barbourville.com. Reach us via phone by calling 606-546-2222.
