Kenneth Eugene Hastings was born May 9, 1929, son of Charles Almon Hastings and Isa Davis Hastings, in Dawson Township in Greene County and died November 25, 2021, at Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson, at the age of 92 years, 6 months, 16 days.
Funeral services were held Dec. 2, 202, at First United Methodist Church in Jefferson.
Words of comfort were offered by the Rev. Heather Dorr, pastor of the church. Soloist was Gary Haupert, accompanied by Danille Curtis.
Casket bearers were John Gerken, Jack Runge, Dave Luther, Dennis Hall, Jerry Fields and John Hamilton. Interment was at the Jefferson Municipal Cemetery, with military rites provided by United States Army honor guard of Camp Dodge, Floyd Brown American Legion Post # 11, and the VFW Post # 9599 of Jefferson.
Ken’s mother died in 1934, when he was 5 years old. He went to live with his Granddad Elmer and Grandma Mary Hastings and spent one week in the summer with his Davis grandparents. Kenneth’s father remarried in 1937 to Margaret Rose. His siblings Kay, Charlene, Charles Dean, and Ruth followed.
Ken started country school in Dawson Twp, then moved to Grant Twp for 4th through the 8th grade. Kenneth attended Jefferson High School until graduation in 1946. He worked on the farm for two years with his granddad and then with his dad. He also worked at a filling station with his uncle Aden Davis and drove a gas truck for Conoco.
When Ken’s granddad passed away in 1949, he moved with Grandma to Jefferson. Little did he know how that move would change his life, for lo and behold, there was a beautiful girl, Patsy Young, who lived across the alley from the house where he lived with Grandma. Their parents had known each other for many years. Ken and Patsy officially met when Ken took a job at the Jefferson Creamery. She was in finance; Ken was in transportation logistics. In other words, she was the bookkeeper and he picked up cream and eggs for the Creamery. She would wave to him from her window when he left for work each morning.
After a long engagement (almost 3 months!), they were married on Sept. 17, 1950. Patsy had said she would never marry a farmer. The gas station that Ken had previously worked for came up for sale. In Ken’s words, he said, “I beat it up to Home State Bank and borrowed the money, then told Mr. Brunner (my boss) that I was quitting as soon as he could find a replacement.” Mr. Brunner agreed. Later Ken realized Mr. Brunner was president of the bank and was the one who had approved the loan.
After Pat and Ken were married, he spent every day from open to close at Hastings Standard. Patsy spent her evenings with Ken at the station cleaning the office. “That was togetherness. I loved it.” Ken thought he had hit it big and ordered over 100 tires to sell. As soon as they were delivered, he received a letter from Uncle Sam. He was 1-A and there was “this Korea thing.” Ken sold the tires to anyone who wanted a bargain, promising that the next owner would mount them. The next guy didn’t have the money and the bank wanted Pat and Ken to carry half the debt. The next owner now promised to mount the tires and Ken was unemployed.
Ken went to work for his uncle Howard Higgens tearing down the old house and starting to build a new house until Uncle Sam decided it was time to serve his country. Kenneth reported to the Army at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Patsy found out she was soon to have their first child.
When Ken was 21 and in the Army, his father was killed in a car accident. Ken was given a leave to come home for the funeral. Even though the accident left Margaret alone with Ken’s three sisters and a brother, he was to report back to the Army. Margaret’s brother Claude Rose drove Ken back to Fort Leonard Wood. When he returned, he was informed that he had been given an extension. He turned around and started walking back to Iowa. Back then people picked up hitchhikers, especially if they were in uniform. A cab driver picked him up and drove him from south of Kansas City as far as Carroll, IA. Ken stopped at a business to see if anyone was going east. No one was but the owner shut down the business to take him the rest of the way home. Margaret’s brother Claude had stopped to rest after driving straight through, and Ken beat him home! Through family and connections in Jefferson associated with the military, Ken was able to stay home and help Margaret with the farm and his siblings. Patsy was married to a farmer after all.
Ken and Patsy’s family grew. Steven Eugene was born in August of 1951, Joyce Ann followed in May of 1953, and Vicki Sue in January of 1958. Their farming expanded between farms they owned/rented and ones they farmed for others. They also raised livestock – cattle, hogs, sheep, and chickens.
Ken was very active in the community. He served in leadership capacities on numerous boards such as the board of Farm and Home Administration, Grant Township 4-H Club, Greene County ASCS, and Greene County board of adjustment.
He was active for many years with Greene County Rural Electric Cooperative, Midland Power and the National REC Association. He spent 41 years, from 1966-2007, on REC and Midland REC boards holding many offices including president of the board. He was Iowa’s representative on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Board in Washington, DC, from 1990-2004, chairing numerous committees and meeting with members of Congress. He served CIPCO (Central Iowa Power Cooperative) from 1993-2007, serving at various times as secretary, treasurer and vice-president.
He was inducted into the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives Coop Hall of Fame in 2007 as Distinguished Volunteer and was known as Mr. REC. He was very proud to represent his neighbors and other Iowans on these boards. In June of 2021 Midland Power Cooperative honored Ken by naming their new substation south of Jefferson the Hastings Substation.
Ken is survived by wife Pat Hastings of Jefferson; son Steve (Mary) Hastings of Colorado Springs, CO; daughters Joyce (Mick) Rings of Blacklick, OH, and Vicki (Dan) Taylor of Jefferson; sister Kay Renwanz of Scranton, OH; brother Chuck (Dina) Hastings of Jefferson; grandchildren Ben Hastings, Chad Rings, Darcy (Jack) Conrad, Amanda( Ryan) Allen, Tanner ( Jana) Taylor, and Jessica (Nathaniel) Chapman; great-grandchildren Naiya Hastings, Jaeda Hastings, Bear Moore, Laynie Conrad, Tommy Conrad, Marcus (Katie) Boldy, Tanner Allen, Zowie Allen, Trystan Allen, Lucas Allen, Grace Allen, Eliana Allen, Chase Allen, Evie Taylor, Charlie Taylor, Lewis Taylor, Lucias Chapman, and Bo Chapman, and a wealth of other family and friends.
He was preceded in death by mother Isa Helen Davis Hastings and father Charles Almon Hastings; stepfather Harold Conroy and stepmother Margaret Conroy, sisters Ruth Ann Allen and Charlene Easley; brothers-in-law Boyd Le Gore, Ed Vernon, Don Easley, Duane Young and Harlan Renwanz; sisters-in-law Dorothy Young, Virginia Paup Vernon, and Delores Young.
The family was assisted by Hastings Funeral Home of Jefferson and Perry.
