Final Salute

Kenneth Lynn De Baere May 29, 1942-July 10, 2023 Kenneth Lynn De Baere, was born on May 29, 1942, to Richard and Kathryn (Reinke) De Baere in Larchwood, Iowa. He passed away on July 10, 2023, at Accura Healthcare of Shenandoah. Ken’s youth was spent in Inwood, Iowa. He graduated from West Lyon High School with the class of 1960. For the next few years, he did carpenter work in the Cherokee, Iowa area. In 1964, he joined the U.S. Navy where he was part of the Construction Battalion (Seabee’s). He served a year in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in October of 1967. On November 19, 1966, he was united in marriage to Lois Suhreptz in Alvord, Iowa at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. They moved to Greenwich, RI, for the rest of the time of Ken’s Navy duty. On September 21, 1967, their daughter, Amy, was born. After moving back to Sioux Falls, SD, Ken worked for Northern States Power at their Pathfinder Nuclear Power Plant. They then moved to Sheldon, IA where Ken attended a yearlong power lineman course at Northwest Iowa Vocational School. He began working for the City of Ames as a lineman. In 1975 the family moved to Shenandoah, IA, where Ken worked as a lineman and manager for Iowa Power Mid-American Energy until his retirement in 2000. Ken was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, American Legion, Rotary and the Elks Lodge. He was an active member in The Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and Shenandoah Hospital Board. He helped with the hospital golf events and many parades and fundraisers. He enjoyed reading, golfing, playing cards and woodworking. He loved watching Joshua and Jordan in all their sports events, art, speech, and music activities at school. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Kathryn De Baere, brothers Richard A. and Lawrence De Baere. Ken will be sadly missed by his wife of 56 years, Lois De Baere of Shenandoah, daughter Amy (Jeff) Miller of Shenandoah, two grandsons Joshua (Caleb Salter) Miller of Council Bluffs, IA and Jordan Miller of Shenandoah, four sisters Sharon De Baere of Georgetown, TX, Rebecca Jensen of Sioux Falls, SD, Stephanie (Jim) Barry of San Diego, CA and Kim (Robert Hunegs) De Baere of Plymouth, MN, sisters-in-law Sherry De Baere of Sacramento, CA, Linda De Baere Schmitz of Dakota Dunes, SD and Carolyn De Baere of Lincoln, NE, numerous nieces, nephews, other family, and friends. Mass of Christian Burial was held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 15, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Shenandoah. Visitation was held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 14, 2023 at the Wabash Memorial Chapel in Shenandoah. Memorials may be directed to the Turnbull Child Development Center or Shenandoah Elks Lodge. Burial was held at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Shenandoah with military rites provided by the Shenandoah American Legion Color Guard. Remembrances and condolences may be shared with the family www.wabashmemorial.com. Services entrusted to Wabash Memorial Chapel in Shenandoah.

Published by Shenandoah Valley News Today on Jul. 26, 2023.