March 25, 1949 – August 15, 2011

Ken Henke was born on March 25, 1949 in St. Louis, Missouri, the youngest son of the late Fred and Ada Henke.  He spent his early years in Bell, Missouri where his father worked for Ortho pesticides.  His family moved back to St. Louis when Ken was still a child and settled in Overland. 

Ken was a 1967 Ritenour High School graduate and was employed with Buckeye International in Maryland Heights for 25 years as a shipping clerk.  He met his wife Marsha in January of 1975 at a Ritenour ballgame, just a few months after Marsha graduated from Ritenour High School.  They married on September 25, 1976 and soon after settled at their Overland home.

Ken was a huge Cardinal baseball fan and enjoyed playing volleyball with his many friends at Overland Baptist Church.  Ken had been ordained as a deacon at Overland Baptist Church  and volunteered as a technician in the church sound booth.  Before he lost the use of his legs, he also played volleyball in the Senior Olympics.  He enjoyed picnics at the park, long walks with Marsha, and being with his family.  He faced his health problems with great courage and could often be seen zipping back and forth to Overland Hardware on his motorized chair.

Ken has been reunited with his parents in death.  He has also been reunited with his late sister, Sharon Moore and his beloved father-in-law, Robert Bennett.  He is also reunited with Marsha?s grandparents, the late Ernest and Mary Ling, whom he loved dearly. 

Ken is survived by Marsha, his wife of 35 years.  He is also survived by his daughter Melissa, by his adopted grandson Gabriel, by his mother-in-law Jo Ann Bennett, his sister-in-law Patti Wolfe and her husband Richard and by Ed and Barbara Scarff.  Ken is also survived by many other friends and relatives.  He will be missed.