But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
A man of the deepest faith, Pastor Ken Kinner’s, strength was again renewed and he will never again grow weary as he went to be in the presence of the Lord Friday morning, January 7, 2011. He was 64 years old and from Mount Gilead.
Kenneth W. “Pastor Ken” Kinner was born on November 30, 1946, in Muncie, Indiana, the son of Viola (Brumback) Kinner and the late Charles Kinner. He graduated from Maysville High School in Zanesville, Ohio in 1964; attended Ohio University; and later joined the U.S. Air Force in 1966, serving his country during the Vietnam War by working on the planes used in battle.
Ken married his best friend, Eva, at the First Baptist Church of Mishawaka, Indiana on November 18, 1967. They then lived where he was stationed in Germany and England until returning to the states. They have cherished their forty-three years together.
After his honorable discharge, Ken began working at Cooper-Bessemer in Mount Vernon and moved to Fredericktown. He later transferred to the H.P.M. Corporation in Mount Gilead, where he worked for twenty nine years in the electrical maintenance department. The family moved to Mount Gilead in 1985.
A proud father of three, Ken worked two or three jobs for many years to enable Eva to be able to stay home and care for their family. For many years, he worked part-time at Kroger’s in Mount Gilead and when H.P.M. closed, he worked full-time there as a pharmacy technician.
With a love for the Lord, Ken was an active member in several American Baptist churches, including First Baptist Church of Fredericktown, First Baptist Church of Mount Gilead, and Trinity Baptist Church in Marion. After completing lay pastor training through the American Baptist Churches of Ohio, he pastored Auburn Baptist Church, officiated his daughter Jennifer’s wedding, was licensed to preach, became an ordained minister, and most recently pastored the First Baptist Church of Bucyrus.
“Pastor Ken” as he became known later in life loved people and especially enjoyed in-home and nursing home visitation. He was an avid reader and sports fan. He participated in the Bucyrus Rotary, supported the Bucyrus Community Food Pantry, and golfed in the Genoa Baptist Church Golf League with his son, Chris. Outgoing, funny and gregarious are words that aptly describe Ken. He was truly “one of a kind.”
Ken will be dearly missed by his loving wife, Eva Kinner of Mount Gilead; three children: Pastor Christopher Joseph (Dayna) Kinner of Westerville, and their son, Paul Kenneth Kinner; Lisa Jean (Marcelo) Galvao of Missouri City, Texas, and their children: Silas, Titus, and Lydia Galvao; and Jennifer Ellen (Ryan) Whisler of Columbus; his mother, Viola Kinner of Zanesville; two sisters: Laura Kinner of Toledo, and Susan Kinner of Newark; a brother, Phillip (Linda) Kinner of Zanesville, and their children: Steven, Bryan and Anthony; and countless dear friends.
The Kinner family will greet friends from 5 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11 and from 9-11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at the Snyder Funeral Home, 76 S. Main St., Mount Gilead. Services celebrating his life and giving glory to God will be held there on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., with his son Christopher “Pastor Chris” Kinner officiating. Burial with military honors provided by the V.F.W. Post 5084 and AmVets Post 87 will follow in Bryn Zion Cemetery in Mount Gilead.
Rather than flowers, his family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Kenneth W. Kinner Memorial Fund, to be used for other lay pastors in training, and they may be sent to the care of the funeral home.
For those wishing to express their private condolences to Ken’s family online, you may do so by visiting www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
About Marion Online Obituaries
