Kenneth J. Van Meter

Kenneth J. Van Meter, 69, of the Town of Port Edwards, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at Marshfield Medical Center, Marshfield.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Monday, September 15, at Feldner/Ritchay Funeral Home in Nekoosa. The Rev. Timothy Ritter will officiate. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Nekoosa. Friends may call at the funeral home from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service.
Ken was born January 1, 1956 at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne, WY, to LaVerne and Margaret (Ivec) Van Meter. He was the second of their three sons, and graduated from Nekoosa High School in 1975. His main occupation was working at the Port Edwards and Nekoosa paper mills (now Domtar) from 1977 to 2014, retiring as a Beater Engineer. He married Christine M. Kuhn on October 12, 1985, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Nekoosa.
Ken was an avid outdoorsman in his younger years and loved to hunt and fish. He also enjoyed riding motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles, hiking in the woods, swimming, weightlifting, listening to music, playing cards, watching movies (especially John Wayne movies), and taking vacations and weekend trips with his family. Although he had multiple health problems, he tried to stay active his entire life, and always did his best. He was an incredibly brave and loving man.
Survivors include his wife, Christine, of the town of Port Edwards, and their three daughters, Amy Van Meter (Peter Allen) of Stevens Point; Wendy Van Meter (Kilian Hintz) of Plover; and Tracy Van Meter of the town of Port Edwards. Ken is also survived by his brothers, Thomas (Lorri) Van Meter of Prescott Valley, AZ, and Robert Van Meter, Wisconsin Rapids; niece Molly (Patrick) McFadden and daughter Addie, and nephew Andrew (Amber) Van Meter.
He was preceded in death by his parents, LaVerne and Margaret, and his in-laws, Herbert and Helen Kuhn.
Ken's family would like to take this opportunity to thank Clark County Rehab and Living Center, Owen, WI, for their fine efforts to make his life better these last four months; Aspirus Stanley Hospital, Stanley, WI, for their excellent ER department; and Marshfield Medical Center ICU for the compassionate care that gave us some extra time with him.
"We will always love you--we will always miss you--and one day we will see you again."