It was the spring of 1970. Guy was home from Vietnam (early, because of the death of his father) and was discharged from the U.S. Air Force, having served since 1966.
I’d paid off my National Defense Student Aid loan, had my bottom wisdom teeth pulled, and sewed a green dress, and the Presbyterian Church traded in their pump organ for a Hammond electronic one. (Yes, from my diary.)
And Gloria I took lilacs to Grandpa Neal in the Dexter hospital. He’d been using oxygen at home, even while he continued to smoke. But that day in the hospital, May 8, I realized that the only grandfather I ever knew wasn’t going to get well.
Kenneth Neal was taken to a Des Moines hospital on May 19, but later was brought back to the Dexter hospital where he died four days short of his 75th birthday.
Kenneth Neal Rites Held Friday
DEXTER: Services were conducted Friday, July 3, at the First United Presbyterian Church by Rev. Chas. T. White for Kenneth Neal. Organ music was provided by Mrs. Maryon Hadley with Mrs. Judy White sing[ing] the Twenty-Third Psalm.
Casket bearers were grandsons, Vincent Wells, Kenneth Sh[ep]herd, Jon Shepherd, Bill Beaman, Ben Beaman, Thomas Isenhart and Noel Ki[d]ney. Flowers were cared for by the church committee. Interment was at the Dexter Cemetery.
Kenneth was born on the 5th of July, 1895 to Orland[o] Swain and Nellie Keith Neal in Guthrie County, and passed away after an illness in the Dexter hospital, at age age of 74 years, 11 months, 26 days.
Kenneth was a life-long member of the Dexter Presbyterian Church, serving as Ruling Elder for many years. He spent his entire life as a farmer near Dexter except for four years in L.A. Calif. Kenneth attended rural schools near Dexter and the high school at Dexter. [He did not graduate.]
November 29, 1916 he wedded Ruby Blohm. They had six children. Kenneth is survived by his wife, Ruby and sons, Warren, Bill, and Scott, daughters Nadine, (Mrs. John Shepherd), Betty, (Mrs. Mervin Wells), Marian, (Mrs. Harvey Beaman); 14 Grand Children and 2 great Grand Children, one brother, Maurice Neal of Dexter. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Keith, and a sister Marjorie [Mrs. Kenneth Lenocker].
Kenneth and Ruby celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1966. Greatest enjoyment in his retiring years was his grandchildren and every Sunday always counted how many were in the choir. Sometimes this would add up to twelve, at one time. On the day of the Golden Wedding Celebration, the grandchildren organized a special choir of all ages and ser[e]naded their Grandparents during the morning worship hours.
Obituary from the July 9, 1970, edition of The Dexfield Review-Sentinel.
According to Ruby Neal, because Kenneth had a matched team of nice horses and lived close to the town of Dexter, he was often called upon to drive them for the hearse to the cemetery.
He also sang in a quartet called the “Metha-Quaka-Terians” because it was made up of men from the three denominations–Methodist, Quaker, and Presbyterian.
Kenneth Neal is buried in the Dexter Cemetery, along with his parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and a great great grandfather.