Kenneth Earl Sherwood

Kenneth Earl Sherwood’s journey on earth ended on February 11, 2023.

It was a journey that began on January 10, 1927 at a small house in Dexterville, Wisconsin at the cusp of the Great Depression. As a youngster, he picked beans to help get money for his family. He was not able to finish school as many kids had to work to help their families. One summer at age 11, he worked on a farm. The farmer could not pay dad at summer's end and gave him an old Model T in lieu of cash. Grandma made him return the car and dad never got paid.

At the age of 17, dad tried to enlist and grandma said no, but shortly after when dad turned 18, he joined the Army. While in occupied Japan, dad joined the 11th Army Airborne and became a paratrooper. Dad served from April of 1944 until October of 1946. He told me of sleeping in muddy tents in occupied Japan. Cold and no food, he volunteered in the mess hall where they would give him bread to take back to his buddies. While in Japan dad managed an NCO club and talked often about all the fights there. When his tour ended, he came back to Pittsville.

Dad married Betty Carol Hiles in the summer of 1951. Dad worked for the Wood County Highway Department. In the 50’s they ran a Root Beer stand in Pittsville. In the early 60’s they bought the bakery in town, dad ran that for 3 years and sold it. They then bought the Pittsville café that mom and dad both worked at. During this venture, dad also was the manager of Ocean Spray Cranberries in Babcock. They sold the café in 1972. Mom opened a fabric store, Sew On and So Forth a few years later. Dad then went to work for Bassuener Construction where he was a large equipment operator until retiring in 1993. Ken was the best grader operator around! Ken enjoyed young people and was the Scoutmaster for Troop 123 in Pittsville for 3 years.

Mom and dad spent 23 years wintering in Arizona but always coming home in the spring until the trip became too hard for them. During his life, he served multiple terms on the city council and the sewer and water department.

Ken was 1 of 7 children born to Lettie Sherwood-Jennings and Vern Sherwood.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Lettie and Vern, his sisters Dorothy Sherwood-Ebbers, Betty Sherwood-Davis-Bates, Doris Sherwood-Wills and brothers Roland Sherwood and Donald Sherwood, in-laws Bernice and George Hiles and their son Julian Hiles.

Ken is survived by his loving and devoted wife Betty Carol Sherwood; daughter Linda Sherwood and her husband Jerry Jensen; son Garry Sherwood and his wife Beth Ann Baggerley-Sherwood; and his sister Vivian Sherwood-Kleifgen.

Ken was a lifelong member of the American Legion in Pittsville. He belonged to the Lutheran Church and was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Pittsville and later St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Sherwood. 

Dad was a huge fan of the Milwaukee Brewers and his hometown of Pittsville. We ask in lieu of flowers that all memorials made will be split between the “Light the Pitt” fund for lighting at the High School Baseball Diamond and the Pittsville Historical Society.

A funeral and celebration of life will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pittsville. The date will be posted in the Pittsville newspaper with photos next week.

Godspeed Ken!

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Pittsville with Pastor Gary Markworth officiating.  Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until time of service.  A luncheon will follow immediately after the service.

Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona is assisting the family.  Online condolences may be shared at www.cremationsociety-wi.com.