Kenneth Block

Kenneth Anthon Block of Westville, Oklahoma was born in Grenville, South Dakota to Ben Block and Mary Mickalowski on January 17, 1933. He departed this life on April 11, 2023 at 90 years, 2 months and 25 days to spend in his eternal home in heaven.

Kenneth joined and proudly served in the United States Army at the age of 22 and was in the service during the Korean War. He loved being a Veteran. If asked if he’d go back, he would say, “Yes, I would, but they probably don’t take many my age now.”

After leaving the service, he resided in Chickasha,Oklahoma. It was during his time there, he was saved and gave his heart to the Lord.  It was also during that time that eventually led him to meet the love of his life, Dorothy Fleig.

Kenneth and Dorothy were married on October 15, 1960. Shortly after being married, they moved to Westville, where Dorothy was born and raised and graduated and her family lived. Kenneth would say, “I loved it here from the first time I came to visit.” They were married for 62 years, full of love and devotion to the very end. This achievement was one of Kenneth’s greatest accomplishments and joys.

Kenneth was a true provider for his family. He was never without a job. He took jobs that some would never want to do, such as working for a chicken plant killing chickens. Then he worked at Baldor Motor and Drives in Westville, now known as ABB, for 17 years and then retired. However, Kenneth was not one to just sit around and be “retired.” After 6 months of trying that out, he went back to work and worked another combined 12 years at Allens Canning Company and Simmons Pet Food where retired a second and final time at age 74.

Kenneth loved to watch westerns. His all time favorite cowboy was Gene Autry. He said he started going to the movies when he only had to pay 10 cents a movie. My how times have changed. He also loved OU football. BOOMER!  However, Kenneth would often watch college teams that only friends, family and students of those universities would only watch and then asked, “Did you see the football game between so and so and so and so?” “No Dad, you would be the only one.” Let’s just face it, he loved to watch football, but not the NFL.

Kenneth loved being involved in his daughter and son-in-laws business Hodge Podge. He enjoyed going out and about looking for things he could purchase to resale. He loved auctions and could spend all day start to finish and do it all again the next weekend. He loved yard sales, flea markets and other resale shops. He got some amazing deals that his kids would often roll their eyes and say, “that would never sell, why did you buy that?” And he would say, “No one else was bidding on it and I got a great deal.” Recently, he bought a room full of furniture for $5. What a coo for him. He was so excited about his "great deal.” Guess what? Not a piece of that lasted long at the Hodge Podge to everyone’s amazement.

Kenneth loved to mow. The neighborhood could expect to see him out on his zero-radius mower zipping around at full speed at least once a week. He mowed until he was 89 when he broke his hip. He was in rehab for 24 days, walked right out of there better than anyone expected. He was ready to get back on the mower this summer and do what he loved to do.

Kenneth loved Church. He loved good singing and preaching. He was faithful to the churches he attended throughout his life. For a very long time, he was a member of Bethel Chapel Holiness Assembly of God. In recent years, he attended Harvest Time Church.

Kenneth loved God. He would share his testimony of how he got saved with any one who asked and he would share it even if you didn’t ask. He was not ashamed to tell you how good God had been to him and gave him more than he ever thought he would have growing up, a good wife, children, a good home, good jobs, a good church and being a part of a family he loved so much. One of the last things Kenneth said was, “I lived a good, long life.”

He was preceded in death by two sons, Byron Dean and Damon Ray; his parents, Ben Block and Mary Mickalowski; one brother, Duane Block; four brother-in-laws, Richard Dean Fleig, Vincent Fleig, Victor Fleig and Raymond Fleig and one sister-in-law, Betty Fleig.

Left to survive and mourn him is his loving and devoted wife Dorothy (Fleig) Block of the home; his daughter, Dalana Leach and her husband, Michael of Westville; his niece and nephew, he considered his other kids, Roblynn and David Chance of Siloam Spring, Arkansas; five sisters, Georgene (Bubbles), MaryAnn, Genevieve and Irene of South Dakota and Darlene of Michigan; two special little ones who were like grandkids to him, Abigail and Jack Cavner of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and a host of other family and friends.