Obituary

Kenneth J. "Ken" Martin, 69, died Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014, at Via Christi St. Francis.

He was born Feb. 20, 1945, in Fairview, Oklahoma, to Cecil A. and Alpha M. (Siefried) Martin. On Feb. 20, 1965, he married Karen K. Hesser in Copeland, and she survives of the home. He was a member of the Sublette Southern Baptist Church.  Ken was a heavy equipment operator for the state of Kansas Highway Department. He also enjoyed a career in sales. Ken enjoyed woodworking and recently completed a project of making wooden football wall plaques for his children and grandchildren. He also enjoyed golf and worked for a period of time mowing at Sand Creek Station golf course in Newton.

Ken was proud of his yard and liked to spend time doing yard improvements, including recently completing a new front yard patio. You could often find Ken with his buddies enjoying coffee at Curtis C's restaurant in Newton, where he made fast friends with the staff.  Prior to his move to Newton, Ken lived in Sublette, where he worked as a volunteer fireman and EMT for the Sublette Fire Department. Of all of Ken's activities he was a loving husband, father and grandfather first and always enjoyed time he spent with his family.

Ken is survived by his wife, Karen of Newton; daughters, Shelly R. Tritt and her husband, Mike, and Shelia R. Martin, all of Newton; brothers, Bobby Gene and his wife, Connie Martin of Bakersfield, California, and LeRoy "Butch" and his wife, Annette Martin of Harrah, Oklahoma; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Rob Roberts and Barb Roberts, both of Mullinville. He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Nick, Jennifer, Nichole, Jacob, Laci, Sarah, Courtney, Chris and Stephanie, and three grandchildren-in-law and 10 great-grandchildren, Jaylee, Dakota, Braxton, Jaxson, Laylynn, Collin, Koda, Cayden, Parker and Dallas. Ken was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Funeral Home in Newton, with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, 2014, at Sublette Southern Baptist Church in Sublette, with Pastor Jerry Smith presiding. Burial will be in the Copeland Kansas Cemetery. The casket will be open prior to the funeral at Sublette. Swaim Funeral Home of Sublette is in charge of local arrangements. Memorials are suggested to Faith Baptist Church of Andover, or Sublette Southern Baptist Church, Sublette, in care of Petersen Funeral Home, 215 N. Main, Newton, KS 67114.