Kessinger, Mona

Mona Kessinger, a nationally recognized columnist, was a pioneer among women journalists in Kansas.  Mona and her husband, Ed, owned and published The Junction City Republic, from 1950 to 1976.  The column, “Second Helpings”, appeared weekly for 26 years and won many state and national awards.  She was named the top female columnist in the state by the Kansas Press Women 13 times, including seven years in a row. 

Mona said, “I was not trained as a writer, so I did take special pride in the recognition with the awards.  However, the real value of the column for me was not the awards, but the connection to the readers, the community, the people with whom we shared so much.” 

In addition to her column writing, she was involved in all aspects of publishing the paper each week and pushed for modernization in publishing.  She warmed her babies bottles on a linotype machine as she set type.  That linotype went to the wayside as The Republic became the first offset newspaper in Kansas. 

While Ed Kessinger served in the Kansas legislature for three terms, Mona took over the reins of the newspaper and guided it to numerous KPA Better Newspaper awards.

In 1961, the National Presswomen Association honored Mona with first place in special editions for her work on an issue commemorating the Kansas Centennial.  Mona was named “Woman Journalist of the Year” in 1965 by the Kansas State University chapter of Theta Sigma Phi.  In 1966, she was named “Kansas Woman of Achievement” by the Kansas Press Women in honor of her newspaper and civic work. 

Mona wrote about her writing, "I loved to write, and I must say it came somewhat easy for me.  I wrote in the hope that the reader could see their own situation through the columns.  I wanted each reader to feel emotion, to laugh and sometimes to cry. 

"I’m not sure what legacy I will leave, but I do know that “Second Helpings” shows humor, love and intelligence.  If these columns help to bring out those things in those who read them, that would be legacy enough."

In addition to The Junction City Republic, the couple started other weekly newspapers, The Wakefield Sun and The Ogden Sun, which won top prize in the KPA Better Newspaper contest one year (I can't recall which year that was).