Kenneth J. Ehlinger (1942-2017)

EHLINGER, SWEENEY, ROHWEIN

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/19/2017 at 18:22:26

Kenneth J. "Ken" Ehlinger, age 75, of Dubuque, was called home suddenly as the result of an automobile accident, on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque. To honor Ken's life, funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, November 22, 2017, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, with Deacon John Stierman officiating. To celebrate Ken's life, family and friends may visit from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, November 21, 2017, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, where there will be a prayer service held at 2:30 p.m. Burial will be in Dubuque Memorial Gardens, where full military honors will be accorded by the Dubuque Marine Corps League.

Ken was born on October 11, 1942, in Maquoketa, Iowa, son of Julien J. and Alice E. (Sweeney) Ehlinger.

Ken honorably served his country with the U.S. Navy; stationed in Vietnam for a time, and proudly working in the Navy Postal Service for 20 years. Never one to shy away from work, after his stint in the service, Ken would go on to own and operate the Quarter Deck in Baldwin, Iowa, for 18 years. And his final 10 years of productively sharing his time and talents with others, before finally settling into retirement, were earnestly devoted to Care Pest Control. Ken was united in marriage to his true love, Shirley Rohwein, on May 11, 1963, in Bremerton, Washington. The loving couple was blessed with 54 years, and 3 deeply adored children together. In his free time, Ken enjoyed sitting down with a good book in hand, or even routinely trying to tackle and conquer the latest advances in computer technology. But, the one thing which truly brought Ken joy was his family. Any opportunity to get together and spend a little quality time with his loved ones was always time well spent in Ken's mind. Our hearts are beyond broken today with the sudden and tragic loss of our dear husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, but we know and trust that Ken is finally free of the ailments and confines of his earthly temple and that today he finds himself clothed in eternal perfection while enjoying a family reunion with his loved ones who've been called home ahead of him. We will surely miss you Ken, but we will also definitely maintain a firm grasp on all of the positive love, lessons and memories you leave behind while we patiently wait to see you again.

Those left to cherish Ken's memory include
his loving wife, Shirley Ehlinger, Dubuque, IA;
his children, LaCinda "Cindy" (Ricky) Carr, Lena, IL, Deborah (Mark) Uthe, Manchester, IA
and Kevin Ehlinger, Maquoketa, IA;
his 14 grandchildren, Shawna (Jeff) Busker, Kristen (Josh) Heinrich, Brandon (Jonathan) Mills, Chad Mills, Nathan Carr, Ashley (Tailor) Mills, Jenna Carr, Jared Carr, Dakota Potter, Jennifer Uthe, Charles Uthe, Nickolas Uthe, Kaitlyn Uthe and Bryce Ehlinger;
his 15 great-grandchildren; his siblings,
Anne Block, DeWitt, IA, Richard (Linda Sue) Ehlinger, Oklahoma City, OK, Donald (Ruth) Ehlinger, Jacksonville, FL,
Norma (Dale) Simonson, Grand Mound, IA,
Dale (Chris) Ehlinger, Washington, IA
and Ron (Lisa) Ehlinger, Ankeny, IA;
and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Ken was preceded in death by his parents; 3 sisters, Jean Ehlinger in infancy, Cathy (Travis) Green and Connie Martin; and a brother, Ray Ehlinger.

A Kenneth J. "Ken" Ehlinger memorial fund has been established, which will be distributed among his favorite charities.

VISITATION
Tuesday, November 21
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Behr's Funeral Home

1491 Main Street Dubuque, IA 52001
(563) 582-3297
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FUNERAL SERVICE
Wednesday, November 22
10:00 AM

Behr's Funeral Home

1491 Main Street Dubuque, IA 52001
(563) 582-3297