Save the date!
It looks like Saturday, September 18th, will be the date of Kenny's memorial tribute ride, which will run from Springfield down to Mt. Olive, IL. The exact time and starting point is yet to be determined, but we wanted to give you the heads-up on the date, so that you can start making your own plans.
The intention is to meet up in Springfield, do a drive-by Ken's mom's house by the Springfield Airport, and then past Ken's shop, Grman's Motorcycle Service, on Browning Road, (right there by the airport), and then up to 5th Street, and then south, on out of town on Interstate 55. When we arrive in Mt. Olive, we will meet at Ken's grave site in Calgary Cemetery, maybe have someone say a few words, and then from there we will head into town, to Hurley's Banquet Center and Hurley's Tavern on Main Street, where we'll be roasting a pig, right there in the parking lot between the banquet center and the tavern. The rest of the details will be coming, soon. ...Also, we're planning on Saturday, September 25th, as the alternate date, in case the 18th is rained out.
Many thanks to everyone, for your calls and ideas for this tribute ride. Keep them coming. Ideas for advertising the event, ideas for things to do at the event, ideas for tribute and memorial items, anything you can think of. Again, I can be reached at 608-358-4418, or email me at laura@stratess.com. And, of course, post a comment directly to this blog if you'd like, so that your ideas can be shared with everyone here.
Kenny would be truly touched, and I can just hear him saying "I can't believe you're going to this much trouble on my account!" I don't think Ken ever fully realized just how appreciated and loved he truly was... no matter how often we tried to tell him. Kenny was our one-of-kind Springfield son.
Thanks so much,
Laura
(Ken's sister)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
To all of Ken's dear friends,
With Ken's visitation services and burial now behind us, we can turn our attention to planning the memorial tribute ride for Kenny. We're still deciding on the exact date and place, but we'll know, very soon. We do know that it will be on a weekend, sometime in the next few weeks. We'll post the specifics, in a few days. Please keep watching, and spread the word. We're going to do it up right, and show the world how bikers say "goodbye" to their loved ones! It will be a wonderful tribute.
The visitation service was overwhelming, and Ken's entire family was moved, beyond words, by the outpouring of love and respect that was shown by all of Ken's amazing friends. I only wish that we could have gotten a picture of the parking lot and street at Butler Funeral Home, as I'm told they were filled with bikes.
All the many stories that were shared with us, in the receiving line last night, really meant a lot. Thank you all, so very much.
From Inga and all of Ken's family,
Love,
Laura
(Ken's sister)
With Ken's visitation services and burial now behind us, we can turn our attention to planning the memorial tribute ride for Kenny. We're still deciding on the exact date and place, but we'll know, very soon. We do know that it will be on a weekend, sometime in the next few weeks. We'll post the specifics, in a few days. Please keep watching, and spread the word. We're going to do it up right, and show the world how bikers say "goodbye" to their loved ones! It will be a wonderful tribute.
The visitation service was overwhelming, and Ken's entire family was moved, beyond words, by the outpouring of love and respect that was shown by all of Ken's amazing friends. I only wish that we could have gotten a picture of the parking lot and street at Butler Funeral Home, as I'm told they were filled with bikes.
All the many stories that were shared with us, in the receiving line last night, really meant a lot. Thank you all, so very much.
From Inga and all of Ken's family,
Love,
Laura
(Ken's sister)
To all of Ken's beloved friends and family,
The following is the eulogy that was written for Ken, and read by Ken's nephew, Neil, at the burial service that was held, earlier today. We wanted to share this with all of you:
------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m Neil Kenneth, Kenny’s nephew, and our family wanted me to speak on their behalf, today, to share our memories of Kenny, as we pay tribute to him. Knowing Kenny, he wouldn’t have wanted us to make such a fuss, but like Kenny, we’re gonna do it anyway, because we do what we want!
Kenny had been fighting a terrible battle with Esophageal Cancer since his diagnosis last December. Because this deadly disease is such a silent killer, it is often not diagnosed until it is in its latest stages, as was the case with our Kenny.
But we are here today to talk about Ken’s life and who he was.
Kenny was the hardest working man that we ever met, - when he wanted to work. Until he wanted to sleep, and then he was the hardest sleeping man that we ever met! But, when he was awake, he was a determined visionary who turned his dream of “Grman’s Motorcycle Industrial Empire” into a reality, against all adversity.
For instance, Ken was met with great adversity when he first attempted to acquire the zoning he needed for his shop’s current location. The entire neighborhood pressed the zoning commission to vote against him. But Ken persevered. And, in the end, he won-over every single person who had previously voted against him, through his professionalism, his courtesy and his consideration for the neighborhood, and by showing them all that he was not the stereo-type that they had originally feared. In fact, the meticulous pride that Ken took in the care of his shop and property even compelled the Springfield Airport Commission to send him a “Thank You” letter, for keeping his property so nice, because it made such a good impression on the incoming flights. Determined, charming, proud and committed to his dreams.
And why did Ken decide he wanted to fix motorcycles? Because he kept crashing them! And they usually weren’t his! They were his brother Mike’s, and then his brother Mike’s again, then his various friends’, and then his brother Mike’s, yet again…. and so it began. From the early beginning, Ken and his buddies dragging their motorcycles up and down the basement steps at Walnut Street. And as Ken’s friend Mark used to tell him, “Ken put more miles on his bike carrying it up and down the stairs on Walnut Street than he ever put on it on the road.” But Ken was smart, and as was true with everything else throughout his life, if he was interested in it, he figured it out, and then he knew it as well or better than anyone else. Some would even say that Kenny was a genius. Not an academic, because his feelings for school began on the first day of kindergarten, (when he kicked and bit his teacher, and ran home and told his mom “I’m not going to THAT school!”), and those feelings pretty-much continued throughout his school years. But when it was on his terms, he could master anything. He was ninety-nine percent genius, and one-percent crazy, as is the case with all geniuses.
And, with genius comes passion. Of all of Ken’s many hobbies and interests, Ken loved railroads and trains, having built many model railroading boards. He loved guns and bullets, and even spent the last weeks of his life buying bullets for fun. He loved playing guitar. And, he loved his John Deere Tractor. In fact, in these last months as Ken was undergoing his treatments, one day when he was actually feeling pretty good, the first thing he wanted to do was cut his grass, which he did. And then, later said, “That was a bad idea!”
And with passion comes love. Kenny was devoted to his friends and family. In the journey of life and love, Ken’s journey began with Debbie when they were fifteen years old. And, after marriages and divorces, Ken and Deb still remained a part of each others’ lives until the day Kenny died. You may not always get it right, but what matters is that you tried. And from Ken and Deb’s journey, came Matthew, Ken’s only child, who is so much like Kenny that it astounds us! In fact, when Matthew was only a year old and barely walking, he would mimic Kenny, taking Ken’s keys and walking to the front door, holding up the keys to the lock and turning them back and forth with focused deliberation, just like his dad! We know that whatever Matthew decides he wants to do for his career, he will be as determined and successful as his father. Kenny loved Matthew with all of his heart.
In the last decade of his life, Kenny was blessed to have found his Inga, who truly loved him without reservation. She understood him better than anyone, and she provided the balance and stability that held them happily together. Kenny said that, because of Inga, his life was whole. And, he often said that he knew that Inga would be with him till the day he died. Tragically, as fate would have it, Ken got sick, and Inga selflessly cared for him, night and day, to the very end. Ken’s family is indebted to her, and will love her, always.
Throughout his life, Ken’s many friends knew him for his devilish sense of humor and his weird wit, his selflessness and his generosity, and his constant willingness to always lend a helping hand, whenever needed. His home-body ways, his love of old “Western” movies, his intensely analytical mind, and his unmatched pace at work, are some of the unique traits that made Kenny so special. In the Harley community, the respect that Kenny garnered was unmatched, with a reputation that reached across the nation, earned through his honesty and professionalism, and his dedication to quality workmanship and customer service. He was “the” premiere Harley motor man. He was, in a way, a living legend. Though he may now be gone, we can take comfort in knowing that there are countless Harley motors out there that will be running strong for years to come. In a way, a little piece of Kenny still rides with them.
We all have our favorite memories of Ken, who touched so many lives. We’ve all heard Kenny say “How long have you know me?” We can now say, not long enough. But we won’t forget his other favorite sayings, such as “Chance favors a prepared mind”, or “Smith and Wesson always beats four Aces”, or “It’s not that I don’t care, but it just doesn’t matter”, or, whenever he added oil to a fresh motor, “Ahhh, new oil, the elixir of life!”
Kenny always wanted people to remember the good times, and the good things, and to never to be unhappy on his account. We hope that we have honored those wishes, here today. Though we will all grieve for many days and even years to come, the memories of the good times and good things will bring us comfort and last forever. So now, every time you hear that lone Harley motor in the distance, think of Kenny.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The following is the eulogy that was written for Ken, and read by Ken's nephew, Neil, at the burial service that was held, earlier today. We wanted to share this with all of you:
------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m Neil Kenneth, Kenny’s nephew, and our family wanted me to speak on their behalf, today, to share our memories of Kenny, as we pay tribute to him. Knowing Kenny, he wouldn’t have wanted us to make such a fuss, but like Kenny, we’re gonna do it anyway, because we do what we want!
Kenny had been fighting a terrible battle with Esophageal Cancer since his diagnosis last December. Because this deadly disease is such a silent killer, it is often not diagnosed until it is in its latest stages, as was the case with our Kenny.
But we are here today to talk about Ken’s life and who he was.
Kenny was the hardest working man that we ever met, - when he wanted to work. Until he wanted to sleep, and then he was the hardest sleeping man that we ever met! But, when he was awake, he was a determined visionary who turned his dream of “Grman’s Motorcycle Industrial Empire” into a reality, against all adversity.
For instance, Ken was met with great adversity when he first attempted to acquire the zoning he needed for his shop’s current location. The entire neighborhood pressed the zoning commission to vote against him. But Ken persevered. And, in the end, he won-over every single person who had previously voted against him, through his professionalism, his courtesy and his consideration for the neighborhood, and by showing them all that he was not the stereo-type that they had originally feared. In fact, the meticulous pride that Ken took in the care of his shop and property even compelled the Springfield Airport Commission to send him a “Thank You” letter, for keeping his property so nice, because it made such a good impression on the incoming flights. Determined, charming, proud and committed to his dreams.
And why did Ken decide he wanted to fix motorcycles? Because he kept crashing them! And they usually weren’t his! They were his brother Mike’s, and then his brother Mike’s again, then his various friends’, and then his brother Mike’s, yet again…. and so it began. From the early beginning, Ken and his buddies dragging their motorcycles up and down the basement steps at Walnut Street. And as Ken’s friend Mark used to tell him, “Ken put more miles on his bike carrying it up and down the stairs on Walnut Street than he ever put on it on the road.” But Ken was smart, and as was true with everything else throughout his life, if he was interested in it, he figured it out, and then he knew it as well or better than anyone else. Some would even say that Kenny was a genius. Not an academic, because his feelings for school began on the first day of kindergarten, (when he kicked and bit his teacher, and ran home and told his mom “I’m not going to THAT school!”), and those feelings pretty-much continued throughout his school years. But when it was on his terms, he could master anything. He was ninety-nine percent genius, and one-percent crazy, as is the case with all geniuses.
And, with genius comes passion. Of all of Ken’s many hobbies and interests, Ken loved railroads and trains, having built many model railroading boards. He loved guns and bullets, and even spent the last weeks of his life buying bullets for fun. He loved playing guitar. And, he loved his John Deere Tractor. In fact, in these last months as Ken was undergoing his treatments, one day when he was actually feeling pretty good, the first thing he wanted to do was cut his grass, which he did. And then, later said, “That was a bad idea!”
And with passion comes love. Kenny was devoted to his friends and family. In the journey of life and love, Ken’s journey began with Debbie when they were fifteen years old. And, after marriages and divorces, Ken and Deb still remained a part of each others’ lives until the day Kenny died. You may not always get it right, but what matters is that you tried. And from Ken and Deb’s journey, came Matthew, Ken’s only child, who is so much like Kenny that it astounds us! In fact, when Matthew was only a year old and barely walking, he would mimic Kenny, taking Ken’s keys and walking to the front door, holding up the keys to the lock and turning them back and forth with focused deliberation, just like his dad! We know that whatever Matthew decides he wants to do for his career, he will be as determined and successful as his father. Kenny loved Matthew with all of his heart.
In the last decade of his life, Kenny was blessed to have found his Inga, who truly loved him without reservation. She understood him better than anyone, and she provided the balance and stability that held them happily together. Kenny said that, because of Inga, his life was whole. And, he often said that he knew that Inga would be with him till the day he died. Tragically, as fate would have it, Ken got sick, and Inga selflessly cared for him, night and day, to the very end. Ken’s family is indebted to her, and will love her, always.
Throughout his life, Ken’s many friends knew him for his devilish sense of humor and his weird wit, his selflessness and his generosity, and his constant willingness to always lend a helping hand, whenever needed. His home-body ways, his love of old “Western” movies, his intensely analytical mind, and his unmatched pace at work, are some of the unique traits that made Kenny so special. In the Harley community, the respect that Kenny garnered was unmatched, with a reputation that reached across the nation, earned through his honesty and professionalism, and his dedication to quality workmanship and customer service. He was “the” premiere Harley motor man. He was, in a way, a living legend. Though he may now be gone, we can take comfort in knowing that there are countless Harley motors out there that will be running strong for years to come. In a way, a little piece of Kenny still rides with them.
We all have our favorite memories of Ken, who touched so many lives. We’ve all heard Kenny say “How long have you know me?” We can now say, not long enough. But we won’t forget his other favorite sayings, such as “Chance favors a prepared mind”, or “Smith and Wesson always beats four Aces”, or “It’s not that I don’t care, but it just doesn’t matter”, or, whenever he added oil to a fresh motor, “Ahhh, new oil, the elixir of life!”
Kenny always wanted people to remember the good times, and the good things, and to never to be unhappy on his account. We hope that we have honored those wishes, here today. Though we will all grieve for many days and even years to come, the memories of the good times and good things will bring us comfort and last forever. So now, every time you hear that lone Harley motor in the distance, think of Kenny.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, July 30, 2010
As promised, here is the schedule for Ken's visitation service. We're still working on the planning of the memorial tribute, and we'll keep you informed via upcoming posts, very soon.
Visitation Service:
Family will receive friends from 4:00pm - 7:00pm, on Sunday, August 1st, 2010, at Kirlin-Egan & Butler Funderal Home at 900 South 6th Street, Springfield, IL.
Kenny will be laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery in Mt. Olive, IL.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, 500 Huntsman Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108Wednesday, July 28, 2010
To Ken's dear friends,
We should know by tomorrow afternoon, (which would be Thursday, 7/29/2010), of the dates and times for Ken's visitation services and his memorial service. We are planning something very special. In the meantime, we are asking anyone and everyone who has a kind rememberance or funny story about Kenny to let us know, as we are hoping to have a tribute event, where everyone can get up and share their story with the rest of us. Feel free to leave a comment on this blog, if you have a story that you'd like to take the time to write and share with all of us, right away, and/or give me a call, and we can chat about Ken's tribute event. My cell phone number is 608-358-4418.
Ken put up such a great fight, but we suspect that the cancer had spread to his brain, as things were just starting to fail. He was tired, and he was ready to let go. We are grateful for the time we had with Ken, over the last seven months, to say our "I love you's", and our "I'm sorry's", and to help him put things in order as best they could be put, before he moved on to that great motorcycle shop in the sky. As Ken's brother Mike put it today, we know that all of the Harley's in heaven will be running a lot better, now!
More tomorrow,
Laura
We should know by tomorrow afternoon, (which would be Thursday, 7/29/2010), of the dates and times for Ken's visitation services and his memorial service. We are planning something very special. In the meantime, we are asking anyone and everyone who has a kind rememberance or funny story about Kenny to let us know, as we are hoping to have a tribute event, where everyone can get up and share their story with the rest of us. Feel free to leave a comment on this blog, if you have a story that you'd like to take the time to write and share with all of us, right away, and/or give me a call, and we can chat about Ken's tribute event. My cell phone number is 608-358-4418.
Ken put up such a great fight, but we suspect that the cancer had spread to his brain, as things were just starting to fail. He was tired, and he was ready to let go. We are grateful for the time we had with Ken, over the last seven months, to say our "I love you's", and our "I'm sorry's", and to help him put things in order as best they could be put, before he moved on to that great motorcycle shop in the sky. As Ken's brother Mike put it today, we know that all of the Harley's in heaven will be running a lot better, now!
More tomorrow,
Laura
To all of Ken's dear friends,
Our Kenny passed away this morning. The fight was just too much, and he was ready. He went peacefully, with Mike and I at his side, holding his hand.
The entire night before, Kenny was sleeping peacefully, as I kept the vigil through the night. And, there was a very curious occurrence: the fluorescent light in his room kept going on and off, all by itself. Around 11:00pm, I summoned the hospital maintenance man on-duty, and with the lights off, talking in whispers, (so that we wouldn't wake Kenny), I held the flashlight as the maintenance man removed the light switch cover and then disconnected the wires that fed the power to the light. That should have done it, right? Well, ten minutes later, the light started going on and off again. So, I summoned the maintenance man again, and he couldn't figure out what was going on! ... Once again, we were working in the dark, whispering, as I held the flashlight, and the maintenance man removed the light bulbs from the fixture. How weird is that???
Inga and Ken's sister Gina said that the same thing was happening earlier the day prior. And, the light only did this when Ken was asleep. Psychic spiritual energy??? We believe it was...
Inga and Ken's family are making arrangements and getting everything figured out, and we will let you all know what is happening, as soon as we can.
Love to you all,
Laura
Our Kenny passed away this morning. The fight was just too much, and he was ready. He went peacefully, with Mike and I at his side, holding his hand.
The entire night before, Kenny was sleeping peacefully, as I kept the vigil through the night. And, there was a very curious occurrence: the fluorescent light in his room kept going on and off, all by itself. Around 11:00pm, I summoned the hospital maintenance man on-duty, and with the lights off, talking in whispers, (so that we wouldn't wake Kenny), I held the flashlight as the maintenance man removed the light switch cover and then disconnected the wires that fed the power to the light. That should have done it, right? Well, ten minutes later, the light started going on and off again. So, I summoned the maintenance man again, and he couldn't figure out what was going on! ... Once again, we were working in the dark, whispering, as I held the flashlight, and the maintenance man removed the light bulbs from the fixture. How weird is that???
Inga and Ken's sister Gina said that the same thing was happening earlier the day prior. And, the light only did this when Ken was asleep. Psychic spiritual energy??? We believe it was...
Inga and Ken's family are making arrangements and getting everything figured out, and we will let you all know what is happening, as soon as we can.
Love to you all,
Laura
Friday, July 23, 2010
Hello again, to all of Ken's cherished friends who are checking in on him, via this blog. It's amazing and heartwarming to know that you're out there, reading, and to see the hit-counts on the site!
In short, it's now time for Ken to take a breather! It's been a rough seven months. So, Ken's taking a break, and that means no chemo and no radiation. Instead, Ken will be taking time to relax, to heal, to gain back some weight, and to get to feeling a little better and little stronger, before he jumps back into the fight.
Ken's due for his third monthly treatment of Zometa, which is the osteo drug that rebuilds the bone, kills the cancer that is in the bone, and shuts out any new cancer cells from getting into the bone. Amazing, huh? With the cancer having spread to Ken's spine and pelvis, these treatments of Zometa are very important. I'm hoping that, after three consecutive months of treatment, we'll see an improvement in the bone mass, and a reduction in the amount of cancer, in the next scans.
The good news is that Ken hasn't thrown up for over a week. This is really wonderful! And, his blood counts are holding strong. The only bad news is that the chemo treatments, over the last few months, didn't kill the esophageal tumors the way that Ken's oncologist hoped that they would. So, when Ken is stronger, the plan is to try a different chemo-cocktail, and go after those esophageal tumors, again.
So, here's the current plan:
Rest
Get stronger
Gain weight
Back off on the pain meds (cuz he's gettin' a little loopy)
Have another Zometa treatment
And then, decide on the next steps, in a couple of weeks, or so.
Thank you, so much, to one and all, for your sincerely concerned inquiries and your kind support. It means a lot to Ken. He wishes that he felt better and stronger, so that he could take calls and visits. Though just not yet, we're hoping he will be able, soon. All of you, who watch this blog, will probably be the first to hear of it, when it happens!
Love and thanks,
Laura (Ken's sister)
In short, it's now time for Ken to take a breather! It's been a rough seven months. So, Ken's taking a break, and that means no chemo and no radiation. Instead, Ken will be taking time to relax, to heal, to gain back some weight, and to get to feeling a little better and little stronger, before he jumps back into the fight.
Ken's due for his third monthly treatment of Zometa, which is the osteo drug that rebuilds the bone, kills the cancer that is in the bone, and shuts out any new cancer cells from getting into the bone. Amazing, huh? With the cancer having spread to Ken's spine and pelvis, these treatments of Zometa are very important. I'm hoping that, after three consecutive months of treatment, we'll see an improvement in the bone mass, and a reduction in the amount of cancer, in the next scans.
The good news is that Ken hasn't thrown up for over a week. This is really wonderful! And, his blood counts are holding strong. The only bad news is that the chemo treatments, over the last few months, didn't kill the esophageal tumors the way that Ken's oncologist hoped that they would. So, when Ken is stronger, the plan is to try a different chemo-cocktail, and go after those esophageal tumors, again.
So, here's the current plan:
Rest
Get stronger
Gain weight
Back off on the pain meds (cuz he's gettin' a little loopy)
Have another Zometa treatment
And then, decide on the next steps, in a couple of weeks, or so.
Thank you, so much, to one and all, for your sincerely concerned inquiries and your kind support. It means a lot to Ken. He wishes that he felt better and stronger, so that he could take calls and visits. Though just not yet, we're hoping he will be able, soon. All of you, who watch this blog, will probably be the first to hear of it, when it happens!
Love and thanks,
Laura (Ken's sister)
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