Kenneth Lee 1936 - 2009

MCTASNEY, LEE, TREFT

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 7/4/2020 at 18:26:02

Sioux City Journal
30 January 2009

CHEROKEE, Iowa -- Kenneth Lee of Cherokee died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009, at a Sioux City hospital.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee, with the Rev. Armand Bertrand officiating. Burial will be in Mount Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, with a prayer service at 7 p.m. followed by a Knights of Columbus rosary, at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Greenwood Funeral Home in Cherokee. Condolences may be sent online to www.greenwoodfuneral.com.

Ken was born Jan. 17, 1936, in Battle Creek, Iowa, to Bill and Phoebe (McTasney) Lee Sr. He attended school in Cherokee, graduating from Washington High School with the class of 1955. He worked for the Iowa Highway Commission, then as a salesman, selling cook ware for Ware-Ever. He met his wife, Molly, while making a sales call in Sioux City.

On June 4, 1960, he married Molly Treft in Battle Creek, Iowa. He then changed careers and became manager of the J.C. Penney shoe department in Cherokee. He was promoted and the couple headed to Milwaukee, Wis. With another promotion on the horizon that would have taken them to Chicago, they decided to return to Cherokee. They purchased the Klatt's Hardware Store, later to be Lee's Hardware. This hardware store was part of the Cherokee community for 23 years. In 1989, he closed the store and began selling International Trucks for Bushlow's Inc., where he worked for 10 years. He semi-retired and was currently working as a short haul delivery driver for Hy-Vee.

He was an active member of the Cherokee community and assisted in helping Cherokee grow. He was responsible for starting the Friday morning coffees sponsored by the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus. He was a past president of the Iowa Hardware Association, a member and unofficial joke teller of the Cherokee Kiwanis Club and the Serpaci antique auto club.

His hobbies were collecting old cars, old coins and old stories. He enjoyed traveling and spending time with his friends and family. He was gifted with a wonderful personality and made friends wherever he went.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Molly; a daughter, Nancy and her husband, Brent Hofer of Scranton, Iowa; a son, Tom Lee and his wife, Maureen of Dallas, Texas; a daughter, Wendy and her husband, Ken Nelson of Sutherland, Iowa; his mother, Phoebe Lee Mummert of Cherokee; and 11 grandchildren, Katie Hofer, twins Scott and Alex Hofer, Kody Nelson, Ryan Lee, Patrick Nelson, Samuel Nelson, Emily Hofer, Thomas Nelson, Collin Lee and Abigail Nelson.