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Kenneth Cheatham

Kenneth Cheatham

HARVEY, MI – Kenneth Cheatham, age 82, of Harvey, entered eternal life Monday, November 12, 2018, at his home, in the loving, comforting care of his wife, Ruby.

Born April 10, 1936, in Barberton, Ohio, a son of Gold and Charlotte N. (Mitchell) Cheatham, Ken was raised in Barberton and graduated from Barberton High School, Class of 1955, where he played baseball, football, and was on the track team. He joined the US Air Force on September 2, 1955, beginning what would become a 30 year career. Entering the service at Sampson Air Base in Geneva, New York, Ken was trained as an aircraft structural repairman and retired as a fabrication branch superintendent with the rank of E8 from Minot, North Dakota in 1985. From 1978 until 1983, Ken was stationed at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base and returned to the Marquette area following his honorable discharge, because he simply loved the area. Following retirement, he returned to the workforce and was employed with the Garden Room Restaurant for a time, Simmons Deicying on Baraga Avenue with commercial deicying, and finally with Jim Mansfield State Farm Insurance as a clerk for four years. Ken enjoyed sports, especially baseball, playing varsity baseball during three years of high school and, following graduation, playing semi-professional baseball with the Royal Vagabonds in Akron, Ohio as a fielder and pitcher.

Later, while serving in the Air Force, Ken played on the Air Force traveling baseball team in both the United States and overseas. Ken had a passion for reading, especially books on military history.

Ken was a member of the First Baptist Church, Marquette, where he faithfully served as a deacon and senior Sunday School teacher, and was often one of the first persons to greet you when you visited the church. He was engaging, welcoming, and had an easy smile. Ken was also a member of Richard Jopling Post 44 of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans.

Ken is survived by his wife, Ruby (Davis) Cheatham, whom he married December 21, 1957 in Barberton, OH; a daughter, Stephanie Zertuche of K.I. Sawyer; sons, Kenneth (Linda) Cheatham Jr., of Oak Park, IL and Reginald (Jennifer) Cheatham of Madison, WI; his grandchildren, Sierra, Kenneth Avery, Nathan, Wesley, Cedric, and Thelonious Cheatham; a brother, Emmett Cheatham of Barberton, OH; sisters-in-law, Carolyn and Mabel Cheatham of Barberton, OH, Carol Cheatham of Akron, OH, and Pamela Cheatham of Colorado Springs, CO; brother-in-law, Melvin Dowdell of Barberton, OH; special in-laws from Ruby’s family, Ruth (the late Andrew) Sims of Barberton, OH, Lillie Hall of Akron, OH, and Johnny Blackstone of Canton, OH; numerous nieces and nephews. Ken was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Joyce Burton, Josephine Cheatham, Charlotte Kenner, and Carrie Dowdell; brothers, Marvin, Joseph, Irvin, Christopher, Arnold, and Rev. Samuel Cheatham; and brother-in-law, Richard Burton.

Services will be held at Frist Baptist Church in June of 2019 and will be announced.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to First Baptist Church, 728 W. Kaye Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855.

The Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at swansonlundquistfuneral home.com