Kenneth Elsworth "Ken" HEDRICK

HEDRICK, YALE, WILLIAMS, BAUMANN, PETERSON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/18/2011 at 05:47:11

Obituary - Kenneth Elsworth "Ken" Hedrick

Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, February 05, 2006

MASON CITY - Kenneth Elsworth HEDRICK, 88, of Mason City died Saturday, (Feb. 4, 2006) at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.

According to his wishes, his body will be donated to the University of Iowa Hospitals and their will be no services. Inurnment will be held at a later date.

Memorials may be directed to the Kenneth E. HEDRICK Memorial Fund or the Hospice of North Iowa.

Kenneth E. HEDRICK was born on Nov. 2, 1917, the son of Lloyd E. and Helen (YALE) HEDRICK in Ames, Iowa. Ken attended school in Ames and graduated from Ames High School, he then attended Iowa State University where he received his B.S. degree. While attending college, he worked for J.C. Penney Co. part-time and after graduation he attained full-time employment with J.C. Penney Co. in Grand Forks, North Dakota, as a manager trainee.

Kenneth was married to Ruth "Betty" WILLIAMS on Sept. 2, 1940 in Milford, Iowa. When World War II began, Vincent, his younger brother was a glider pilot instructor in Spencer, Iowa and encouraged Ken to attain a parachute rigger's license and pack chutes for the school, giving him a specialty trade if drafted. He was drafted and was stationed in England where he packed parachutes for the Air Force. He was in the Air Force from 1943 to 1946. After his honorable discharge from the war, he and his older brother, Max, purchased an office machine company in Mason City and operated it as HEDRICK Bros. Office Machines for many years.

Ken and Betty acted as counselors and chaperones at Mason City's first Youth Center in the YMCA. He was a past board member of the Mason City Planning and Zoning Commision and was part of the routing of the Avenue of the Saints, the beginning developments of North Iowa Area Community College and the Meredith Willson Museum and The Music Man Sqaure. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, where he was an elder and a deacon. He was also a board member on the Public Health of Nursing Board and a member of the V.F.W, the Wig-Wam n' Wagon Camper Association.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Ruth "Betty" HEDRICK of Mason City; daughter, Nancy J. BAUMANN and husband, Steve, of Manly; and son, Paul W. HEDRICK and special friend, Sylvia, of Ely, Minn.; grandchild, Tania PETERSON and husband, Stephen; and great-grandchildren, Shammon and Rashawn PETERSON.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers, Max and Vincent.

Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory are in charge of arrangements (641) 423-0924.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2011

Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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