Shenk, Kenneth M. (1912-2010)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2010 Apr 19 p. 17

Birth date: 1912 Dec 30

text of obituary:

KENNETH M. SHENK

Kenneth M. Shenk, 97, died March 19, 2010, at Willamette Valley Medical Center, McMinnville, Ore. He was born Dec. 30, 1912, to Daniel F. and Fannie (Schrag) Shenk, the second of four children, at Hubbard.

In 1922 his family moved to Whiteson and then to Sheridan, where he completed grade school and attended high school.

He married Frances Kilmer on Nov. 19, 1933.

He worked in the logging industry for 44 years. The last 25 years he operated Shenk Logging Company, and retired in 1974. In August 2008 he and Frances moved to Valley View Retirement Community. He was a member of the Evangelical Bible Church, Dallas, Ore.

At age 86 he published his memoirs, Go Ahead On ’er, a 370-page book of stories with which he regaled family and friends throughout his life. He and Frances enjoyed the many people who came to visit them in response to the book.

Survivors include his wife, Frances; four children, Wilbert Shenk and his wife, Juanita, of Elkhart, Ind., Myron Shenk and his wife, Carol, of Albany, Byron Shenk and his wife, Ina, of McMinnville, and Donna Cross and her husband, Allen, of Lynnwood, Wash.; a sister, Mildred Schrock; a daughter-in-law, Mariellen Shenk of Sun City, Ariz.; 17 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren and two great-great-granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by two sons, Russell Shenk and David Shenk; a daughter-in-law, Lavina Shenk; and by two brothers.