Kenneth Eugene Lee

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Chariton. Military rights will be held at Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Chariton at 10:00 a.m. prior to service. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Chariton, Rosary to begin at 6:00 p.m. Burial at the Calvary Cemetery in Chariton. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church or The Alzheimer's Association in honor of Ken's life. You may join the family via live stream at Kenneth Eugene Lee, son of Audrie Kenneth and Gladys Ester (Havard) Lee was born April 23, 1933 in Wayne County, Iowa on a farm north of Cambria. During the depression, his parents were renting the farm and going broke, so they moved to Corydon, Iowa where his dad worked for the county. Sometime after, he moved with his mom and sister to his Grandma and Grandpa Havard's farm north of Westerville, Iowa, and his dad worked in California to try and make some money. In 1942, his dad was drafted in the army and they moved to Osceola. While living in Osceola, Ken had a paper route. He delivered the Sundays, the evenings and the mornings at different times. While living in Osceola, he went through many sicknesses including the measles, chicken pox, scarlet fever, plus had to have his tonsils and adenoids out. Once his dad got home from the war, the family moved north of Russell to a farm. Ken was in 7th grade and went to Dickerville school through 8th grade. He attended Chariton High School after this. The first two years of high school, he stayed in town during the week and went home on the weekends. During his junior year, five of them took a taxi to school and for his senior year, a bus picked them up. After graduating from Chariton High School, Ken worked for Amos White for the summer on his farm, working on his hay baler tying bales and doing general farm work. In the fall, he worked for about a month on the new gym and cafeteria they were building on the north side of the high school. It was around this time that Ken met Gloria Hoffman. He was supposed to teach her to skate, but she said she never did learn very well. Ken then went to work for Ralph Dean and Dean Bown on the farm as a hired man with Marvin Beatty and Leroy Major until May 1953, when he was drafted into the Army. Ken did his basic training in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. After basic training, he was sent to Ft. Belvoir, VA to Heavy Equipment school. In November, they let him come home before he shipped out to France and while he was home, he became engaged to Gloria. Ken served from 1953 to 1955 in an Engineer Battalion in the Army. He was united in marriage to Gloria on December 10, 1955 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Chariton, Iowa by Father Charles Conner, an Irish Priest. To this union, they were blessed with two sons, Randy and Timmie. From 1955 to 1957, Ken worked at various positions as a Manager of a chicken hatchery, a bulldozer operator, and a machine operator for Solar Aircraft Company. In July 1957, he went to work as a substitute city carrier for the Chariton Post Office. In 1962, he became Assistant Postmaster and in 1968, became acting Postmaster. He was appointed Postmaster in 1971 and retired from that position on Labor Day in 1990, serving 33 ½ years at the Chariton Post Office. During his last year as the Postmaster, he was named the Iowa Postmaster of the Year in May and in August, he was named National Postmaster of the Year at the annual convention of the National League of Postmasters in Anaheim, CA. In 1992, Ken was elected as the National President of the Retired Branch of Postmasters. He was also elected as an International Board Member of United Commercial Travelers for a six-year term in 1995. He served as President of Toastmasters, was a Korean Veteran, and was a Commander in the American Legion. He helped with little league, boy scouts, as well as many local fundraising committees and the Chariton Chamber of Commerce. Ken was great at remembering everyone and everything. He had a talent for telling stories and jokes to entertain everyone. He enjoyed golf and was a member of the Chariton Country Club. Ken enjoyed playing cards with his golfing buddies at the clubhouse. Ken loved to entertain and spend time with his friends. He was also very active at the Sacred Heart Catholic church, where he was a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Of all his achievements, Ken was most proud of his children and grandchildren. He said, "they are all different and all so wonderful, and all so smart too." He also stated, "our daughters-in-law are wonderful women that do a great job taking care of our sons and grandchildren." At Church they met Ralph and Laurette Scheve whom they affectionately stated adopted him and Gloria, and treated them like parents. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 65 years, Gloria; sons: Randy (Boni) and Tim (Stacy); grandchildren: Jeremy (Kasey), Skyler (Paege), Jessica (TJ), Peyton, Shelby; 3 great grandchildren: Briella, Collin, and Bryton; along with many friends and relatives. Ken was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Maxine. Cemetery Details Calvary Cemetery Chariton, IA 50049

Visitation

FEB 10. 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (CST)

Pierschbacher Funeral Homes - Chariton

914 Roland Ave

Chariton, IA 50049

[email protected]

https://www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.com

Rosary

FEB 10. 6:00 PM (CST)

Pierschbacher Funeral Homes - Chariton

914 Roland Ave

Chariton, IA 50049

[email protected]

https://www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.com

Catholic Funeral Mass

FEB 11. 10:30 AM (CST)

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

407 N. Main Street

Chariton, IA 50049