Kenneth Earl Sereno

1926 - 2017

Kenneth Earl Sereno

Born: October 30, 1926

Died: July 15, 2017

Kenneth Earl Sereno, 90, of Morris passed away Saturday morning July 15, 2017 at the Morris Hospital.

Born October 30, 1926, he was the son of the late Harry Earl and Fern (Johnson) Sereno.

Ken grew up in rural Morris until moving to Morris in 1942 for his Junior and Senior years at Morris High School. He worked as a clerk at the Bryant Grocery Store and at Morris Paper Mill on the high school work program. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1944 and served his country until 1946. He attended Ripon College and also Texas A & M College.

He returned to the paper mill until he opened the Sereno Blacksmith Shop on Buchanan Street in January of 1948 as a partner with his father. He became sole owner in 1951. He then opened the Sereno Farm Mart in 1963 and converted to Ace Hardware in 1968. The welding shop closed on 1975. After 48 years he sold the business to Dick Walker and retired in 1996. Upon retiring he spent most of his time for the next 4 years going through the library microfilms collecting the history of Morris and Grundy County. He has written several history books with the profits gong to Morris Downtown Development Partnership, the Morris Library and the Grundy County Historical Society and Museum. He has given numerous history tours and slide programs.

He met Joan Linington and married her in 1952.

Ken and Joanie, along with help from other parents, operated the youth center in Morris for many years.

Ken's passion was the Historical Museum, therefore, preferred memorials be made to the museum.

He is survived by his wife, Joanie, of 65 years; daughter -in-law, Karen of Florida; granddaughters, Jayme (James) Muser and Kristi (Dustin) House; 3 great grandchildren, Ellyot Muser, Evelyn Muser and Tegan House; sister-in-law, Virginia Sereno; and two brothers-in-law, Charles (Anne) Linington and John Linington.

Preceded in death by his son, Gary Sereno; brother, Robert Sereno.

Visitation for Ken will be held on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the U.C. Davis-Callahan Funeral Home in Morris. A Celebration of Ken's life will be held on Thursday July 20, 2017 at 10:30 am at the First Presbyterian Church of Morris, officiated by Reverend Dr. Roy Backus. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery. Military Honors will be conducted by the Morris Color Guard.

Arrangements have been entrusted with U.C. Davis-Callahan Funeral Home, 301 W. Washington Street, Morris, IL. For further information visit the website at www.ucdaviscallahan.com or contact the funeral home at 815-942-0084. Online condolences may be directed to the family by visiting the website.