Kenneth Neal Garner
Kenneth Neal Garner, formerly of Ashton and currently spending summers in Buchanan, Tennessee, and winters in Bandera, Texas, passed away on Dec. 13, 2019 at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Ken was born in Arbyrd, Missouri to Marvin James and Neecie Elvira (Haddock) Garner on May 2, 1942.
He married Linda M Bowers on Aug. 14, 1966 at the Church of the Brethren in Dixon, Illinois.
He graduated from Arbyrd High School in 1960 and left the Missouri Bootheel for Northern Illinois, finding work with Del Monte, then serving in the 6th Battalion 71st Artillery Hawk Missile Unit in Vietnam from June 1965 to April 1966.
He was a union carpenter, and a few years later, started Garner-Spires Construction with Jerry Spires.
Ken was the rural mail carrier for Ashton and retired from the United States Postal Service in May 2007 with 30 years of service.
He also served as a volunteer EMT and fireman on the Ashton Fire Department for many years.
Past memberships included the Masonic Lodge, Rock River Horseman Association and AmVets.
Hobbies and activities throughout his life involved reading, playing cards, fishing, bowling, as well as raising and training horses.
In recent years, his favorite pastime was fishing, floating and tubing with his granddaughters on Kentucky Lake.
He is survived by son, Michael Garner of Elgin; daughter, Karen (Mike) Sondgeroth of Franklin Grove; four granddaughters; sisters-in-law Tina Garner, Patricia (Guy) Ball, and Lou Ann (Tom) Balch; aunt, Bonnie Winchell and several nieces and nephews.
Predeceased by his parents, former wife Linda, brother Jerry D. Garner, sister Glenda S. Smith and brother-in-law W. Franklin Smith.
Visitation was held at the Preston-Schilling Funeral Home in Dixon, Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, from 10 a.m. to noon.
A private service and burial of cremains at the Ashton Cemetery will be held at a later date.
Memorials will be directed to the Ashton Fire Department.
Arrangements were completed by Preston-Schilling Funeral Home in Dixon. Condolences may be sent to www.prestonschilling.com.