He is survived by his son, Kraig (Tiffany) Farris; daughter, Karen (Brad) Cotton; daughter, Krista (Greg) Wroblewski; and sister, Rubynelle “Carmen” Brumley. He was preceded in death by his wife; his son, Kent; his parents; his sister, Vera Lacy; his brother, John Whitman; and several other siblings: Bessie, Herschel, Hancel, Alvin, Albert, Rev. Carlis, and Donald.
Ken was raised by his father in Southern Illinois. He often shared stories of working on the family farm, including tales of his pet pig, visits to his grandparents’ modest orchard, and attending a one-room schoolhouse.
After his father passed, Ken moved to Havana, Ill. and worked as a clerk at the West Food Store before leaving to serve in the United States Army. A proud Korean War veteran, he was a heavy weapons gunner with Company G, 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division – the “Can Do” regiment. He experienced the grueling summer monsoon season of 1953, operating along the heavily contested Chorwan Valley where he endured enemy artillery bombardments, night raids, and hand-to-hand combat. He survived frontline fighting, only to have his unit suffer a catastrophic, post-armistice friendly fire incident during a forced midnight withdrawal to establish the Demilitarized Zone. He was one of few survivors of that incident.
He was honorably discharged with the rank of Corporal in October 1954. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and Korean Service Ribbon. He also received the Ambassador for Peace Medal from the Republic of Korea.
After returning to the United States, he drove a delivery truck for New Way Laundry in Havana, Ill. His route was to and from Canton, where he met his wife. Ken and Betty were married, and moved north, spending the early years of their marriage in Highland Park, Ill., where he worked as a machinist at Kleinschmidt Laboratories. After a few years, they returned to Canton, Ill. to start a family, and Ken began working at International Harvester on third shift as a driller. He later moved to first shift as a janitor and worked his way into a machinist role at the plant. He was a proud union member. He was also a member of the IH volunteer fire department.
After IH closed in Canton in 1983, Ken commuted to Navistar in Indiana. Without fail, he came home every weekend. Ken retired from IH/Navistar in 1989 but remained active, continuing to work for many years at Admiral (Maytag) in Galesburg, Ill. and Formaloy in Morton, Ill. before fully retiring.
Ken enjoyed motorcycles and participating in local riding events and shows, where he often received the oldest rider trophy. He also enjoyed spending time at the shooting range. He collected rodeo belt buckles and, in his younger years, was rarely seen without his cowboy boots. He liked sharing stories and telling jokes - often being the first to laugh.
While always a believer, Ken renewed his faith in his 90s and was baptized at Wesley United Methodist Church in Canton, Ill. Cremation rites are being accorded by Oaks-Hines Funeral Home. Ken’s ashes will be laid to rest beside his wife’s at Fairview Cemetery in Fairview, Ill. Friends and family are invited to pay their respects at a graveside service with military honors on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 11 a.m., at Fairview Cemetery on West Street in Fairview, Ill.
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