Kenneth R. Steinke, 80
Kenneth R. Steinke, 80, of Plover, Wis., peacefully passed away on November 22, 2023 after battling recovery from his last stroke in June.
Ken was born on September 23, 1943 in Iola, Wis., to the late Robert and Myrna (née Fletcher) Steinke. He grew up on the family dairy farm in the town of Plover and attended the one-room Morrill School until Roosevelt Elementary was established and then attended and graduated from P.J. Jacobs High School in 1961.
After high school, and along with working on the family dairy farm, he was employed with Francis Gumney driving truck and “lumping those old milk cans.” He loved being involved with anything farm related.
In 1965, he enlisted and served with the Army National Guard Red Arrow Division based in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and later in Ft. McCoy, Wis. He served for six years.
Ken married his sweetheart, Mary L. Altenburg on November 5, 1966 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Stevens Point, and then resided in Arnott, where he was loosely donned as the “Mayor of Arnott.”
He and Mary both worked at the Lullaby Furniture Co. where he was a delivery driver until his employment with Sentry Insurance in 1975. He was a lead in their environmental services department for nearly 20 years during which time he and Mary also owned Ken’s Cleaning Service.
After Sentry, he ended his working career at FS Cooperative as a route driver delivering fuel to many homes and farms throughout Portage and Wood Co. He enjoyed his routes as he was still “helping out the farmers.”
Ken made many lifelong friends along the way with his outgoing personality or as some may say his exceptional gift of BSing. He enjoyed hunting, gardening, antique vehicles, especially his old ’47 Ford flatbed, but most of all he loved telling stories of the past and spending time with his family.
He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years Mary and their mighty furry companion Teddy; daughter, Lisa (Jeremy) Slowinski of Junction City; son, Kenny Steinke of Chicago; granddaughter, Jaelyn Slowinski (Hunter Portzen) of Junction City; sisters, Kathleen Emberston of Stevens Point, Priscilla (Brian) Schultz of Virginia Beach, VA, and sister-in-Law, Cheryl Steinke of Plover; along with many nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents; sibling, Carla “Douglas” Steinke and brother-in-law, Don Embertson.
A funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Stevens Point. A time of visitation will precede on Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at the church. Burial with full military honors will follow in Maine Cemetery in Plover.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Stevens Point Health Services and Promedica Hospice for their compassionate care of Ken and support for the family.