Kenneth Eugene Pugh, age 86, of Lake View, IA, passed away at Loring Hospital on Friday, January 16, 2015. Kenneth was born on September 19, 1928, in Morgan County, Missouri to Albert and Mayme (Lawson) Pugh. He was confirmed in the Catholic Church in 1955. He attended country school in rural Auburn, IA through the eighth grade and graduated from Auburn High School with the class of 1946.
Following graduation, Kenneth enlisted in the United States Navy and was honorably discharged in 1950 as 2nd Class Electrician. Kenneth was assigned to the USS Curtiss which served as a seaplane tender of the USS Navy, and arrived at Eniwetok with atom bombs on board for the exercise “Operation Sandstone” in 1948.
On February 13, 1956, Kenneth was united in marriage to Mona Lou Dinges at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wall Lake. They were blessed with six children: Lane, Mona Marie, Bret, Eric, Julie and Sara.
Kenneth went to work for Griffin Construction Company as a finish carpenter and cabinet maker for 15 years. He started his own business, Pugh Construction, and worked as an independent contractor for 31 years. He worked with wood, building houses and making furniture or anything you could make out of wood until retiring. After that he helped his son Bret with concrete work and then in the racing parts business. His past-times were woodworking, making rosaries (which he made over 6000), reading, cracking and picking out black walnuts and giving some to friends, enjoying his family and traveling.
He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wall Lake and the Lake View Fire Department for over 23 years.
Kenneth was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He loved his family and cherished spending time with them. Survivors include his wife Mona Lou of Lake View; children: Bret (LuAnn) Pugh of Sac City; Eric (Monica) Pugh of Winterset, IA; Julie (Michael) Pochop of Anchorage, AK; and Sara (Tom) Duncan of Carnarvon, IA; 14 grandchildren: Lane Pugh and Erinn Wells; Brady, Brenden, Logan, Laramy, and Ayden Pugh; Christine Flessner, James, Jacob, and Mahlon Pochop; and Stefanie Kelsey, Taylor and Ashley Duncan; 11 great-grandchildren; many extended family members and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son Lane; daughter Mona Marie; two sisters: June Harris and Bonnie Peters; two brothers; Clyde and Mahlon Pugh; and mother and father-in-law: Bill and Matilda Dinges.
