Kenneth Lee Mc Wain (Ken/Kenny) went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, September 20th, 2023. Ken passed away peacefully at John Knox Village Assisted Living Memory Care in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with his loving family members often at his bedside in his last days. Ken was almost 89 years old at the time of his passing.
Ken was born October 25th, 1934, in the small farming town of Rulo, Nebraska. Ken was the fourth child with two brothers and two sisters. He lived in Rulo until graduating from high school.
Ken married Dolly Nissen on April 4th, 1953 and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Ken worked for Rival Manufacturing as a metal polisher and then for lnterchemical Printing Ink Company as a color matcher. Ken had a highly successful 40 plus year career in the printing ink business ultimately advancing to the position of Director of Paper Packaging Inks for the BASF Corporation. After retiring from BASF Ken and his son-in-law, Dave Fletcher opened a printing ink manufacturing plant in Kansas City for Progressive Ink Corporation.
Ken’s life forever changed around 1960 when he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior during at the Amazing Grace Tabernacle. Ken was a devout Christian with a strong and active faith. Ken and Dolly and their children Brenda and Gary started attending the Southwood Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City in 1965.
Ken started singing gospel music soon after he became a Christian. One of the first songs Ken performed was “Mansion Over The Hilltop”, written by Ira Stanphill in 1949. He sang that song on a Falls City radio station in the early 1960′ s. A few years later he sang on a Kansas City area Christian broadcast station owned by the late Reverend Willie A. Williams, a close friend of Ken’s and his frequent bird hunting companion.
While attending Southwood Ken and other church members started a gospel music quartet, The Southwood Singers performing all over Kansas City and the Midwest. The only requirement to book the quartet was to guarantee they would have an opportunity to share their faith through their music. After the quartet disbanded, Ken continued as a soloist and recorded several CD’s. He shared his musical ministry at funeral services, weddings, and nursing homes including John Knox Village.
To say that Ken was a giving man would be an understatement. He gave his love, service, and musical talent to the Lord. He also gave his love, compassion, and incredible sense of humor to his family, friends and fellow man.
Ken was preceded in death by the passing of his wife, Dolly in November of 2016 and the passing of his granddaughter, Dr. Katherine McWain in September of 2019. He loved and missed them both so much. Ken is survived by his son, Gary (Lisa); daughter, Brenda (Dave) Fletcher; grandchildren, Collin McWain (Madison), Blake (Brittany), Kirk (Natasha), Gage, and Troy (Crystal) Fletcher; and great grandchildren, Weston McWain, and Cora, Brooke, James, Eleanor, Skylar, Blaire and Landon Fletcher.
Funeral Services will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, September 28, 2023 with visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Langsford Funeral Home, 115 SW 3rd Street, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063. A Graveside Service will be at 3:00 p.m., Thursday, September 28, 2023 at Rulo Cemetery, 70567 – 70581, 660 Loop, Rulo, Nebraska.
