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These notices are dated: 11-04-2004
Ken Fields, put needs of others above his
Ken Fields set an example of sacrifice. He didn't allow himself to be the central figure of his life.
"It's the first thing that comes up when I talk to people about him, " said Doug Fields, a son who lives in Lakeside Park.
"Whether for his children or his wife or his community, his school system or his country, he put his own desires and ambitions on the back burner and did whatever was needed by those around him."
Mr. Fields died Monday night at University Hospital. He was 71.
Doug Fields cited a few examples of his father's selflessness: His father delivered The Kentucky Post in Campbell, Pendleton and Bracken counties for 15 years and always had a dozen or so customers, usually elderly or disabled folks, who never received a bill.
He was one of the youngest members of the Committee of 500, which drove organized crime out of Newport in the early 1960s.
He drove the church bus for St. John's Church of Christ in Newport for the better part of two decades, even though it meant he couldn't attend services himself.
If you went to breakfast or lunch with him at the Pepper Pod or the Bob Evans in Newport, he never let you pick up the check.
Said Doug Fields, "Before he left on his Post route every day, he'd take a paper over to one of the neighbors, a frail older woman, and leave it beside her door so she wouldn't have to bend over to get it. I don't think she ever paid for her newspaper, either.
"At the hospital, one of the evaluators asked if he had any hobbies. And I realized he didn't. His hobbies were his kids, his grandkids, his community and its schools."
Mr. Fields' daughter, Cathy Wecker, of Alexandria, said he was never shy about sharing his faith in Jesus.
"He was a reflection of my heavenly father, " she said. "He taught me that, if I have an earthly dad who loves me so much, how much more must my heavenly father love me. My dad was a great dad. He had the best smile."
For a class assignment in which she was asked to describe those who had influenced her most, one of Mr. Fields' 13 grandchildren, Betsy Wecker, described him this way: "Grandpa grew up in a poor family, went to a poor school and hung out with poor kids. But he became a respected member of his town.
"And when he walked down the street, he got a thousand 'hellos' from people he didn't even know. Grandpa was popular on a whole other level. Most people have heroes or idols they'll never live up to.
"For me, that hero is my Grandpa Kenny, and as much as I'll try to be more like him, I don't think I will ever live up to the reputation he built and standard he set for himself. Any degree of admiration could not describe the way I look up to my Grandpa."
A grandson, Sam Wecker, said Mr. Fields was more than a grandfather to him. "He was my role model and my best friend. It's hard to see a hero die."
An Army veteran of the Korean War, he was a member of the Newport Board of Education for 33 years.
Other survivors: two sons, Steve of Dallas, Texas, and Gary of Bowling Green, Ky.; a sister, Grace Randolph of Louisville; two brothers, James of Lexington and William of Florence, and 13 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Joann, and a son, Greg. Visitation: 5-8 p.m. Friday at Full Gospel Assembly of God, 13th and Monmouth, Newport. Services: 10 a.m. Saturday at the church.
A private graveside ceremony will be held Monday at Evergreen Cemetery.
Memorials: Care Net Pregnancy Services of Northern Kentucky, 7134 Price Pike, Florence, 41042, or to the Fields Family Scholarship Fund, in care of the Newport Board of Education, 301 E. Eighth St., Newport, 41071.
Michael C. Barker, 50, of Crestview Hills, died Monday at his home. He was a chairman of the Peace and Justice Committee for the Diocese of Covington and a director of finance and operations at the Diocesan Catholic Children's Home in Fort Mitchell. A daughter, Sarah Marie Barker, died in 1992.
Survivors include his wife, Marianne Odley Barker; a son, Michael C. Barker II of Crestview Hills; his parents, Charles A. and Ruth Barker of Fort Mitchell; a and brother, Greg Barker of Knoxville, Tenn.
Mass of Christian burial will be at noon Friday at Mother of God Church, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Friday. Entombment will be in St. Mary Mausoleum, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Sarah Marie Barker Memorial Scholarship Fund, in care of Villa Madonna Academy, 2500 Amsterdam Road, Villa Hills, Ky. 41017. Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Wanda V. Brewer, 82, of Lakeside Park, died at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Rosedale Manor, Latonia. She was a retired senior dean of women at Holmes High School in Covington and a member of Fort Mitchell Baptist Church, Northern Kentucky and Kentucky educators associations and teachers associations. There are no immediate survivors.
Services will be at noon Saturday at Fort Mitchell Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Washington Street Cemetery, Casey, Ill. Memorials are suggested to Fort Mitchell Baptist Church, 2323 Dixie Highway, Fort Mitchell, Ky. 41017. Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Bradley Ryan Ferguson, 2 months, son of James Bradley Ferguson and Stacy Lynn Putthoff Ferguson of Elsmere, died at 10:03 p.m. Tuesday at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati. A sister, Mallory James Ferguson, died on Sept. 16. A brother, Owen Robert Ferguson, died on Sept. 24.
Other survivors include grandparents, Mike and Suzanne Putthoff of Petersburg and Sharon Ferguson of Florence; and great-grandparents, Cotton and Maxine Delk of Ludlow and Maxine Beagle of Florence.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Good Samaritan Hospital, Neonatology, Ninth Floor, 375 Dixmyth Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45220. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Hebron, is handling arrangements.
William Fricke, 73, of Erlanger, died Wednesday at his home.
He was a retired general contractor and a member of St. Vincent DePaul Church, Crescent Springs. He was also a member of St. Barbara Church, Erlanger.
Survivors include his wife, Novie Fricke; sons, Joe Fricke of Kenton Vale and John Fricke of Florence; a daughter, Suzanne Ritchie of Crestview Hills; brothers, Jerry Fricke of Colorado, Ron Fricke of California, Jim Fricke of Fort Mitchell and Tom Fricke of Fort Wright; sisters, Joyce Gray of Mississippi, Rosemary Redmond of California, Betty Schuler of Latonia and Judy Reinersman of Fort Wright; and 10 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Barbara Church, Erlanger.
Visitation will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger.
Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright.
Jerry Wayne Guy, 54, of Silver Grove, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
He was an employee of the Campbell County maintenance department and the Yellow Cab Co., Newport.
Survivors include his wife, Sherri Guy; a son, Robert Guy of Silver Grove; daughters, Angela Smeshek of Silver Grove and Juana Guy of Falmouth; stepdaughters, Sherri Iles of Silver Grove and Cat Iles of Latonia; brothers, Russell Guy of Newport and Robert Riley of Cincinnati; sisters, Sue Lewis of Covington and Pat Newman of Newport; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Richard C. Horn, 78, of Cincinnati, formerly of Erlanger, died Wednesday at Mercy Franciscan Hospital, Western Hills, Cincinnati. He was a finisher with Fix Reed Co. and an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include nieces and a nephew.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Bridgetown Cemetery, Cincinnati.
Barbara K. Begley Lay, 70, of Independence, died Tuesday at her home.
She was a homemaker and a member of Freewill Baptist Church, Covington.
Survivors include her husband, Douglas Lay; daughters, Diane Wilson of Independence, Marlyn Hall of Highland Heights and Teresa Roberts of Erlanger; a sister, Ivory Jackson of Ingram; four grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to Freewill Baptist Church, 4705 Fowler Creek Road, Covington, Ky. 41017.
Robert E. "Spoons" Nolan, 56, of Newport, died Monday at his home.
He was a retired firefighter with the Covington Fire Department, and a member of American Legion Post No. 11 in Newport, and an Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Chrissy Carter; a stepson, Heath Niemeyer of Erlanger; his mother, Dorothy Dwertman Nolan of Fort Wright; brothers, Dennis A. Nolan of Hebron and Paul W. Nolan of Baldwin, Md.; and sisters, Patricia A. Woods of Fort Thomas and Kathy T. Nolan of Fort Wright.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Henry Church, Elsmere. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger.
Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to Parish Kitchen, P.O. Box 1234, Covington, Ky. 41012.
Ewell L. Pierce, 81, of Cynthiana, died Tuesday at his home.
He was a retired farmer, a member of Berry United Methodist Church and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include Marjorie Earle Pierce; sons, Sam Pierce, George Pierce, Robert Pierce, Ewell Pierce and Phillip Lee; a brother, James D. Pierce of Paris; and eight grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Pythian Grove Cemetery, Berry. Woodhead Funeral Home, Berry, is handling arrangements.
Georgia A. Stephens, 60, of Cincinnati, formerly of Highland Heights, died Wednesday at Hospice of Western Hills, Cincinnati. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include sisters, Doris Ahr of Highland Heights and Dorothy Conn of Felicity, Ohio.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Mount Moriah Cemetery, Withamsville, Ohio. Memorials are suggested to Tender Mercies, 1214 Race St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow, is handling arrangements.
Wilgus Turner, 82, of Erlanger, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a retired general contractor, a member of First Church of God in Florence and a Navy veteran of World War II. His first wife, Lacy Turner, died in 1986.
Survivors include his wife, Arabelle Turner; daughters, Betty Jo Nola of Manassas, Va., Anna Lyon of Greenville, N.C.; a son, J.C. Turner of Independence; a stepdaughter, Dorothy Cornett of Florence; a stepson, Robert Crank of Erlanger; sisters, Mae Turner and Cora Turner, both of Southgate and Rosie Raleigh of Newport; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at First Church of God, Florence. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Ernest S. Zimmerman, 83, of Fort Thomas, died at 3 p.m. Monday at Highlands of Fort Thomas nursing home. He was the retired chief executive officer of Otto Zimmerman and Son Printing Co., Newport, a member of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Thomas and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Jane Rowe Zimmerman; a son, Bill Zimmerman of Fort Thomas; a daughter, Jan Jolley of Fort Thomas; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Mr. Zimmerman bequeathed his body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Memorials are suggested to First Presbyterian Church, 220 S. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
