Kenneth C. KNOKE

KNOKE, GLAWE, FISKO, TAYLOR

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/13/2010 at 12:06:36

DAVENPORT, IA - Kenneth C. Knoke, 87, of Davenport, passed away quietly at his home Saturday, August 5, 2006. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 8, 2006, in the Runge Mortuary Chapel. Visitation will be Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the mortuary. Burial will be in Rock Island National Cemetery, where military graveside rites will be provided by Vietnam Veterans Chapter 299. Memorials may be made to Faith United Church of Christ.

He was born April 2, 1919, in Klemme, Iowa , the son of Fred and Ella (Glawe) Knoke. He graduated from Elkader High School and later attended classes at St. Ambrose College. On September 22, 1951, he married Helen L. Fisko at Peace Church in Elkader. She preceded him in death February 23, 2005. Mr. Knoke proudly served his country in the Army Air Corps from 1941 to 1945. Included in one of the first groups of troops to arrive in England, he was stationed in Duxford. He was awarded the American Defense Service, American Theater Service, European-African-Middle Eastern medals and the Bronze Star. He also earned two Overseas Service Commendations. Following his military service, he was employed by a farm implement dealer in St. Olaf, Iowa. Following his marriage, he was employed by the Rock Island Arsenal for 33 years, retiring in 1984. While there, his responsibilities required him to travel to Korea. Mr. Knoke helped facilitate the merger between Sunnymeade and Berea churches to form Faith United Church of Christ, of which he was an active member. He was also a mechanic, an avid gardener, and devoted to his wife, family, and especially his grandsons. He enjoyed helping others and was an excellent handyman.

Survivors include son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Betsy Knoke, of Fishers, Ind.; daughter, Karen Knoke, of Davenport; two grandsons, Kendall and Landon, to whom he was a devoted grandfather; sister, Helen Taylor; and three brothers Harold, Vernon, and Fred Knoke. Numerous nieces and nephews also survive. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by three sisters and a brother.

Quad-City Times, Iowa
August 6, 2006