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McFarlan, Kenneth Ford 1920-2012

MCFARLAN, WHITE, MERZ, ARANDT, SCHMIDT

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 11/2/2015 at 06:18:54

Kenneth Ford McFarlan
October 08, 1920 - December 18, 2012
What Cheer, Iowa

Visitation: 9:30 a.m. until service time December 22, 2012 at What Cheer United Methodist Church
Funeral Service: 11:00 a.m. December 22, 2012 at What Cheer United Methodist Church

Interment: December 22, 2012 at McFarlan Cemetery
WHAT CHEER

Kenneth Ford McFarlan, age 92, of What Cheer, died Tuesday, December 18, 2012, at Manor House Care Center in Sigourney. Ford was born October 8, 1920, on a farm north of Thornburg, to Thomas Frederick and Bessie Mildred (White) McFarlan. He started school in the fall of 1926 in Thornburg, transferred to Springdale Country School in 1930 and graduated from Gibson High School in 1938.

Ford became a member of the White Oak Presbyterian Church of rural Thornburg on January 24, 1937. In the early 1950's he transferred his membership to the United Methodist Church of What Cheer where he served as a member of the Administrative Board and was head usher for several years.

Ford served in the US Army from November 1942 until October 1945, where he trained in Camp Polk, Louisiana, was a member of the Co. B 56th Engineer Battalion, 11th Armored Division. He served in the European Theater from October 1944 until October 1945. Ford received the Bronze Star in May 1945. On March 22, 1943, he married Juanita Howard in Leesville, Louisiana. The couple lived most of their married lives in the What Cheer area. His working years were spent at the What Cheer Clay Products Company, Alfred J. Whyle Furniture and Funeral Home, Robinson Ford Motor Company and was appointed What Cheer Postmaster in June 1957. He retired from the post office in December 1980, then worked part time for Harden Funeral Chapel in What Cheer and New Sharon, retiring in 2006. During his years in What Cheer he served as Master of the Masonic Lodge in 1954 and was a 50-year plus member. He was a sixty-year plus member of the American Legion Post #0319 in Keswick, served two years on the Keokuk County Compensation Board as chairman, was a fifty-year plus member of the What Cheer Lions Club, served two terms on the What Cheer City Council, was very active in Boy Scouts of America several years and served as Advancement Chairman for one year, served on the What Cheer Library Board and What Cheer Housing Development, both for several years.

Survivors include his wife: Juanita; two children: Gary (Barbara) McFarlan of Altoona and Carolyn Sue (Ron) Merz of Harper; four grandchildren: Kimberly (Doug) Arndt, Alison and Andrew of Indianola, Gregory (Andrea) McFarlan, Keaton and Garrison of Urbandale, Brooke Schmidt of Des Moines and Cathrine Schmidt of New York City; two step grandsons: Gregory (Charlene) Merz, Molly and Graham of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Christopher (Jill) Merz, Ben and Matt of Cedar Falls.

His parents preceded him in death.

Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 22, 2012, at the What Cheer United Methodist Church, with Pastor Vince Homan officiating. Burial will be at McFarlan Cemetery in What Cheer. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the church. A memorial fund has been established for Keokuk County Hospice, Manor House Care Center or the What Cheer United Methodist Church. Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Sigourney is caring for Ford and his family. Condolences may be e-mailed at www.powellfuneralhomes.com under obituaries. ~ The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa thur 20 Dec 2012.


 

Keokuk Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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