Their Story

Kenneth Harlan Wolverton was born on February 11, 1924, in Davenport, Iowa, the son of George Harlan and Ruth Mae Beaucock Wolverton. As a child, he worked on a farm and then drove a school bus at the age of 15. His father died on August 26, 1961, and his mother died on December 12, 200l.1
Wolverton married Edythe M. Williams on November 25, 1959, in Madison, Wisconsin. They were married for fifty-four years until her death on June 22, 2013, in Bettendorf, Iowa. Ken and Edyth had four children, Judy, Janet, Jim, and Jack.2
Wolverton registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, in Des Moines County, Iowa. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 5, 1943, at Camp Dodge in Herrold, Iowa. Wolverton served overseas in the European Theater from November 30, 1944, until March 12, 1946, assigned to Company B, 102nd Infantry.3 He was honorably discharged from the Army on March 17, 1946.4 Private Wolverton was awarded the Bronze Star for his service during World War II.5
After the war, Wolverton graduated from the University of Wisconsin, which is where he met Edythe. Ken and Edythe moved to Savanna, Illinois, after his graduation where Ken worked for the federal government as a mechanical engineer. They then moved to Moline, Illinois, where Ken was employed as an engineer at Ametek, Incorporated in East Moline, Illinois. He was later transferred to Arlington, Texas, and retired in 1981.6
During retirement, Ken and Edythe built a retirement home on Cedar Creek Lake near Trinidad, Texas. They spent many years on the lake where they enjoyed boating, fishing and entertaining family and friends. They returned in 2008 to Bettendorf, Iowa, and lived at the Fountains Senior Living Community Center.7
Kenneth Harlan Wolverton died on November 7, 2019, at Trinity Hospital in Bettendorf, Iowa, at the age of 95. He was survived by his four children, Judy (Bob) Bebber, Jan (Jim) Jeffery, Jim (Beth) Wolverton, and Jack (Kate) Wolverton; eight grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren. Wolverton was preceded in death by his sister, June Rothlauf, and brother, Dale Wolverton.8
References
1 Kenneth Harlan Wolverton – Facts (ancestry.com).
2 Edythe M. Williams Wolverton (1928-2013) – Find a Grave Memorial.
3 Iowa, U.S., World War II Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954 – Ancestry.com.
4 Iowa, U.S., World War II Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954 – Ancestry.com.
5 Kenneth H Wolverton’s memorial page – Honor Veterans Legacies at VLM (va.gov).
6 17 Nov 2019, B5 – Quad-City Times at Newspapers.com.
7 Kenneth Harlan Wolverton (1924-2019) – Find a Grave Memorial.
8 Kenneth Harlan Wolverton (1924-2019) – Find a Grave Memorial.