Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Newton, Kenneth Lazern April 2019 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Pat Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net August 27, 2020, 10:36 am Hasting's Reminder-April 13, 2019 KENNETH LAZERN NEWTON Ken was born to Vernon S. and Ruth L. (Lehman) Newton on June 1, 1944 in Hastings and was raised in Woodland, all of his childhood, where many of his lifelong friends still reside. As a young man, he enjoyed hanging out with his cousins and friends, as well as participating in many of the Woodland school had to offer. He performed in school plays, but also enjoyed baseball, basketball and football (where, due to limited team members, players were often asked to play offense and defense in the same game). The small town boys loved the challenge and all the action. Go Woodland Wildcats! As Woodland merged with Lake Odessa during his high school years, Ken added a new wave of friends form the once rival town! It was in high school that he met and later married Elaine Beard, and they were blessed with their daughter, Angela Marie. As Ken graduated in 1962, the world's Fair in Seattle called his name along with some of his friends. Perhaps this is where his lifelong love of exploration began. After returning from the adventure out west, he completed heavy equipment school, but decided instead to pursue a careen with the Michigan State Police. He signed his oath in 1965 and worked his way through the ranks from trooper to detective Lieutenant. Over the 25 years he served various posts throughout the state, including years of undercover in the Detroit area. Although we are sure there were some pretty scary times, he only shared the entertaining moments! Other summers, he drove semi-trucks for several rock and roll tour groups all over the country, including KISS, Back Street Boys, U2, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. He also enjoyed riding his MSP Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle, with a couple of trips to California, with special memories at Bixby Creek Bridge! Other trips included visits to Montana, Colorado, the Grand Canyon, and driving to Alaska and back with his truck and camper. Over the years, he visited all the state except Hawaii. Always the adventuresome type with a love for exploration, he more recently added an amazing climb to the top of the Mackinaw Bridge with his daughter Angie (she was terrified to make the climb but was confident in doing so because Ken was with her), and a fun bus trip to Las Vegas. As he settled down with his boat in Florida, he would proudly send pictures of his new backyard (all Water) as he was floating or docked at a new port. With a book, his laptop and some sunshine, he was a Happy Guy! As an avid reader, he held library cards form around the surrounding areas for quick access to new books; and carefully logged each title on his computer, so he wouldn't waste time reading the same book again! Ken always enjoyed hearing about the cold Michigan winters while he was enjoying Florida's warmth and sunshine. Periodically, it would get so frigid in the North Country that he just felt sorry for everyone. For the last few years, he has enjoyed life with dear friend and now wife Phyllis Wilcox as they adapted to the Punta Gorda, FL lifestyle in the winter months, plus meeting his MSP friends for breakfast once a month there, and then back to Michigan in the summer to reconnect with family and friends, including alumni banquets, family reunions, ice creme socials and Woodland Homecoming. He also loved spending time with some of his former school pals at the Woodland Senior lunches, where they awaited the funny antidotes that one he could tell! Ken's faith began as a young man, and believed he would join his parents and grandparents in heaven when it was his time. However, he will be dearly missed by his wife Phyllis Wilcox of Sunfield; daughter Angie and John Sucich of Belleville; siblings Yonna and Eugene Venton of Marion, NC; Brenda and Jon Brownell of Starke, FL; and Tom and Kim Newton of Woodland, as well as many special relatives, including Uncle Howell and Kathy Newton of Alto, Aunt Phyllis Lehman of Lake Odessa, and dear friends around the country. As we celebrate Ken's life well-lived, as a devoted son, brother, father, husband and true friend, let's remember his message from the words of one of his favorite songs, also engraved on his headstone; "I Hope You dance!" Ken's official MSP sign off: Respectfully submitted, Kenneth Newton Go, Letters, Letters, Figures, H, Letters, End Later... In Lieu of flowers, donation may be made to MDS research https://www.mds- foundation.org/donate or Family of Michigan State Police fallen trooperslMSTAF-FTM 1715 Abbey Rd. Suite B East Lansing, MI 48823 or Please donate blood! It does Save Lives! Red cross https://www.redcrossblood.org/ Celebration of Life service 11 a.m. Thursday, April 18, 2019 at Sunfield United Brethren church. Visitation 5-8 p.m. Wednesday April 17 2019 all at the church. Please visit a special page created for Kenneth to leave a condolence for the family; www.RosierFuneralHome.com The family has entrusted the arrangements of the Independent family Owned Funeral Home in Sunfield; Rosier Funeral Home. Additional Comments: File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/n/newton38436nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 5.7 Kb