Kenneth Eldren Davis, 04 Mar 1956 - 18 Jun 2021

DAVIS, WAGNER, THOMPSON, STOCHL, COBB, HOLDERNESS, JORDISON, GOODWIN, MEIER, GILLESPIE

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 7/1/2021 at 10:04:38

Kenneth E. Davis, age 84, of Ladora died Friday, June 18, 2021 at Compass Memorial Healthcare in Marengo.

Funeral services were held 11:00 am Tuesday June 22, 2021 at the Smith Funeral Home in Victor. Visitation was one hour prior to the service, starting at 10:00 am. Burial followed the service at Ohio Cemetery in Ladora.

A luncheon was held at the Victor United Methodist Church following the burial at Ohio Cemetery.

The service was live-streamed through the Facebook page of Smith Funeral Home & Crematory starting at 10:45 am.

Memorial contributions may be designated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the Compass Memorial Healthcare Foundation and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 485, Victor, IA 52347.

Kenneth Eldred Davis was born to his parents Clarence Arthur Davis and Grace Loraine Wagner Davis on March 4, 1937 at his parents’ farm, rural Ladora, Iowa. He graduated from Ladora High School, which he attended with his future wife of 65 years.

Janice Elaine Thompson and Kenneth were married March 10, 1956 in the Ladora United Methodist Church. Kenneth worked as a carpenter and then operated Davis Drywall, until his father Clarence retired in 1970. Then his true vocation, farming, became the focus of the rest of his life. He was an innovative farmer, an early adopter of no-till farming, winning the State of Iowa Corn Yield Contest No-Till Division and a once in a lifetime trip to Europe.

As a young father, Kenneth took his family on many fun adventures. He enjoyed camping, fishing, go-cart racing, traveling and photography. His dogs were his faithful companions in his life’s most passionate endeavor, farming a five-generation family farm in Iowa County with his son, Brian.

Kenneth is survived by his wife, Janice; children, Susan Davis of Laramie, WY, Kathy (Jon) Stochl of Williamsburg, IA and Brian (Mary) Davis of Ladora, IA; grandchildren, Brad (Molly Cobb) Holderness of New Orleans, LA, Carla (Adam) Jordison of Polk City, IA, Curtis (Emily) Stochl of Cedar Rapids, IA, Robert (Melissa) Goodwin of Moline, IL, Brent Davis of Cedar Rapids, IA, and Bridget Davis (Colin Meier) of Cedar Rapids, IA; great-grandchildren, Raeann Goodwin, Lily and Sophie Jordison, and Matilda Cobb-Holderness.

Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents; children in infancy, Lee and Lowell Davis; and sister and brother-in-law, Lois and Howard Gillespie.

Published in The Hometown Current on June 30, 2021.