Kenneth "Ken" Hamlin

1935 - 2015

Kenneth 'Ken' B. Hamlin
Ken Hamlin peacefully fell asleep in death surrounded by his family on Saturday Aug. 15, 2015. Ken was 79 years old.
Ken was born in Fargo, North Dakota on Oct. 21, 1935 to Franklin Hobart and Eunice Hamlin. The Hamlin family then moved to Montana. Ken spent his early years growing up in Libby and Kalispell Montana. While in Montana, he helped his dad raise Alaskan Malamute sled dogs, helped with the family horse logging business and became a successful hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. When in his early teens, he moved with his family to Western Washington.
On December 11, 1954, Ken was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was very active in the congregation, giving encouraging talks, helping with various duties within the congregation and helping on numerous Kingdom Hall building projects. He was a dedicated Bible teacher until the day of his passing. He always shared his love for Jehovah and the Bible with his family and friends.
In the spring of 1957, he met the love of his life, and after a 7 month engagement, he married Joanne Copp on Oct. 5, 1957. The two were married in Seattle, Wa. in a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. The newlyweds enjoyed a love and laughter filled marriage of nearly 57 years. In 1975, the couple along with their 7 ( yes 7) children moved from Seattle to the Teanaway Valley area of Kittitas County, Wa., also living in the city of Cle Elum, before finally residing in Ellensburg, Wa.
Ken was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting, fishing (especially for salmon), camping, riding horses, gold mining, hiking, and boating.
Ken was also the ultimate jack-of-all-trades, and a master of most of them. Along with the above mentioned activities he was an excellent mechanic (he could rebuild a late model VW bug engine in his sleep), painter and carpenter. As a young adult he and his dad would build hotrod Cadillac's, even painting a beautiful 1957 bronze metal flake Cadillac with a paint brush. There wasn't much he couldn't do.
Although Ken was not a materially wealthy man, he was honest, hard working, always ready to lend a helping hand while never asking for help himself. These skills and traits he lovingly passed along to his family.
Survived by Joanne, wife of 57 years, his children, Barbara (Craig) Turner; Marie (Tom) Arnott; Lori (Nick) Miller; David (Kimberly) Hamlin; Diana (Rob) Engels; Wade (Mandy) Hamlin and Garrett (Jan Noyes) Hamlin. 16 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Hobart & Eunice Hamlin; his brothers Hobart Jr., Harold, Lloyd, and baby brother Robert.
Ken's Memorial will be held September 19th, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, located at 1404 Vantage Highway, Ellensburg WA. There will be a gathering to follow at Hal Holmes Center.