Kenneth Reid Meeker

Kenneth Reid Meeker, age 72, of Mt. Carroll, IL, passed away in his home on April 30, 2023 after numerous health battles in recent years. A memorial gathering will be held at Law Jones Funeral Home, in Mt. Carroll on Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Cremations rites have been accorded. Family and friends are invited to share in Ken’s life at lawjonesfuneralhome.com.

Ken was born March 6, 1951, in Manito, IL, the son of Clyde and Loris (Schulte) Meeker. He spent much of his childhood in Manito, then moved to Mediapolis, IA, where he graduated from high school. He then enrolled at Iowa State University, earning his bachelor’s degree in animal science. Ken went to work farming in Georgia and kept farming the rest of his working life, in Iowa, Illinois, and North Carolina, retiring in 2008 and moving back to Mt. Carroll.

In 1980 Ken married Terry Nylin. Together they had two children. Ken loved the great outdoors and was sure to pass that on to his children. He would take them fishing, and introduced them to horseback riding. He even built them an arena where they could ride. Family vacations were often centered around nature, going places like Yellowstone and the Smoky Mountains, and regularly had a touch of history added, such as historical sites and war memorials, oh, and of course plenty of stops at Mexican restaurants (his favorite food)!

In his childhood years, Ken loved playing baseball and held fond memories of his father coaching his teams from childhood into high school. He was also proudly involved with the 4-H club in his youth, and as a grandfather, he was keen to support his grandchildren in their 4-H endeavors. As he aged, with his health not what it once was, Ken focused more on idle activities like watching college basketball and western movies. An avid writer, he also wrote many full-length novels (mostly romance and westerns), in his spare time.

Ken is survived by his daughter, Carrie (Tony) Schmidt, of Mt. Carroll; son, Nicholas Meeker, of Mt. Carroll; grandchildren, William and Abbey Schmidt; sister, Claudia (John) Schweizer, of Fort Collins, CO; brothers, Charles Meeker, of St. Charles, MO, Richard (Carol) Meeker, of Burlington, IA, and Randy (Christina) Meeker, of Burlington, IA; former wife, Terry Meeker, of Mt. Carroll; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Ken is preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Loris, and brothers, Scott (infant), William, and Clinton.