Ken Davis

Funeral services for Kenneth Ora Davis, 69, will be held Saturday, March 8 at the United Methodist Church in Hay Springs, Nebraska at 2 p.m., burial will follow at the Hay Springs Cemetery. Ken passed Saturday, March 1 at Regional West Hospital in Scottsbluff, Nebraska with his wife by his side.

Ken was born at Broken Bow, Nebraska December 19, 1955 to Raymond Michael and Erma Leon (Chase) Davis. He was the third boy in a family that would eventually include five boys and finally, a little sister, Anna. Anna was his joy, and he always spoiled her.

After graduating from Gordon High School in 1974, Ken held a variety of jobs, from being a delivery man for Sears, laying bricks to setting and climbing power poles in the Rocky Mountains. In 1978 he hired onto Burlington Northern Railroad, where he worked for 38 years. He held a wide variety of jobs on the track department, eventually, after attending several classes in welding he became a thermite welder on the track, which he enjoyed. His coworkers all raved about what a good worker he was.

In 1979 Ken met the love of his life, Gayle Ives. They were married on February 14, 1981. Two beautiful boys came along over a period of four years, Kenneth "Kenny" and Thomas. They had many family adventures, including camping in the Black Hills and the Rocky Mountains. Ken was active with his boys in baseball and scouting, even serving as Scout Master for the Hay Springs Pack for a term. Ken spoiled his boys rotten, getting them every "cool, new" thing that came out. He built them a tree house with deck and a slide that was the attraction of every kid in the neighborhood.

Ken and the boys loved to hunt. Ken enjoyed pheasant hunting and deer hunting, especially from the upstairs window of his home.

He loved to build, it was a passion. He began with small projects, and eventually built the family home. He bought books and studied, learning wiring, plumbing, concrete and construction mandates. He even used a router to make the fancy woodwork. Every detail was perfection.

However, his favorite passion was Husker football. Ken and Gayle, sometimes with the boys attended Husker games regularly, and attended twelve bowl games in a row, seeing three national championships.

He will be sorely missed by his large, extended family and a host of friends and former co-workers.

Ken is preceded in death by his father, Raymond Michael Davis, and his brother Joseph. Survivors include his wife, Gayle, sons Kenneth and Thomas; Mother Erma Davis, brothers Michael (Glenda); David, Perry, and sister Anna (Loren) Haynes. Sons Kenneth and Thomas and grandchildren: Sadie, Jayla, Liam, Addison, Olivia, and Chloe as well as host of nephews and nieces, and grand nephews and nieces.