William Ketcham

William Milo Ketcham, 89, beloved husband, father and grandfather,
died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on August 30, 2009 at
Good Samaritan Society of Olathe. Bill is survived by his brother
Haldon Ketcham of Willard, Ohio and by his children Kay Ketcham of
Kansas City, Bill Ketcham of Hochheim, Germany, Paul Ketcham of
Portland, Oregon and Julia Lynn of Olathe, Kansas; daughters-in-law
Wantana Ketcham and Barbara Ketcham, son-in-law Jeffrey Lynn, and
dearly loved grandchildren Laura and Garrett Ketcham, and Robbie and
Emily Lynn. Bill was preceded in death by his sister Marian Wright
and by his beloved wife, Zona.

Bill was born to Lucie Alice and Harold Ketcham on October 17, 1919,
near Willard, Ohio. He spent his early years on the family farm,
then moved to the town of Willard when his father became an engineer
on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Bill always loved trains, and
passed this love on to his children who have fond memories of
sleeping in the Pullman car, eating in the fancy dining car, and
looking out from the sky dome when taking train trips to their
grandparents' Ohio home.

Bill graduated from Park College in 1941 with a degree in Chemistry.
While at Park he met his future wife Zona, and they were married in
the Park College chapel in 1942. Bill enlisted in the US Navy in
1942 and served in World War II as a Naval weatherman. He saw duty
on the island of Saipan and served there after its occupation by
American forces. In 1946 Bill and Zona moved to Kansas City, where
Bill began his career at Procter and Gamble. He remained a proud and
devoted employee of that firm until his retirement in 1981. He began
his career as a chemist in the P&G laboratory, then became Laboratory
Manager, and later spent the duration of his career as Production
Manager. He inspired great respect among his employees, some of whom
called him "the wizard" because he knew so much.

Bill was an active member of Roanoke Presbyterian Church where he
taught Sunday School for many years, and where he and Zona also were
enthusiastic leaders of the Youth Fellowship. Bill was also a
devoted Boy Scout leader, starting the first troop at Mohawk School,
and guiding several boys in attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. He
was a skilled carpenter and builder who could fix anything. He
loved the outdoors and gardening, and instilled this love and respect
for nature in all his children. He especially loved clouds and
watching the weather change. Above all, he was a family man whose
greatest love was for his wife and children. He will be dearly
missed by all who loved and cared for him.

A private family service to celebrate Bill's memory will be held at
the home of Kay Ketcham on Saturday, September 19th. In
lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Good
Samaritan Society of Olathe, 20705 W. 151st Street, Olathe, Kansas
66061. The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to
the caretakers at Cedar Lake and Good Samaritan for the loving care
Bill received during the years he lived in their community.