Kenneth Lough
Kenneth D. Lough, 73, of Waukon died Saturday, June 26, 2021 at Crossing Rivers Health in Prairie du Chien, WI. Funeral services were held Saturday, July 3 at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Burial with military honors was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.
Kenneth Dean Lough was born March 27, 1948 in Estherville, the son of William Lyle and Leona (Klug) Lough; Kenny was so excited to join the world, he couldn’t wait until his mom got to the hospital and was born in the back of a taxi on the way there. He was baptized and confirmed at Estherville Lutheran Church and in 1968, graduated from Estherville High School.
A few months later, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Vietnam, where he drove an 18-wheeler tanker hauling fuel. After being honorably discharged in 1970, he returned home to Waukon and worked for Cooney Construction and Culligan Water Service. From 1983-1985, Kenny was an officer for the Waukon Police Department and then went to work at Northern Engraving in Lansing, leaving there in 1995.
In 1990, while still at Northern Engraving, Kenny returned to being a police officer in Waukon, working the graveyard shift; in 2010, he retired after 20 years in law enforcement. Also in the 1990s, he started driving school bus for the Allamakee Community School District, which he was currently still doing. He drove a lot of the activity buses for the student athletes, got to know all the kids on the teams, and enjoyed watching the games.
In 1966, Kenny was visiting a friend and noticed a picture of a pretty lady. Her name was Gloria Gramlich and she was his friend’s cousin; Kenny decided he had to meet her and one day, he and his friends drove to Waukon in a fancy purple car to visit her. After high school, Kenny moved to Waukon to be with her and they married September 7, 1968 at First Presbyterian Church. They loved going on country drives together, going once a week to the Boat in Marquette and visiting La Crosse, WI to go to Menard’s and Kenny’s favorite restaurant, North Country Steak Buffet.
He was a firm believer in living life while you can and was always on the go. He loved the northeast Iowa countryside, was an avid deer hunter and enjoyed salmon fishing in Algoma, WI with a high school buddy. He enjoyed sports and liked watching football (Iowa Hawkeyes, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers) and college basketball. He also golfed and played softball on teams for Northern Engraving, K&C Tap, City Club, Johnson’s Trucking, Red Ryders, Other Place and KNEI.
Kenny was quite the history buff, loved music and cars from the 1950s and 1960s, and liked war and western movies, especially if it starred John Wayne or Audie Murphy. He was a member of the VFW, American Legion, Waukon Drill Team and the Jaycees.
Kenny is survived by his wife, Gloria, of Waukon; his sons, Tim Lough and Bill Lough, both of Waukon; a son-in-law, Chris (Jodi) Wilhelm of Decorah; three grandchildren, Brandon Lough, Courtney (Marc) Otting and Dylan Wilhem; a brother, Richard (Nellie) Lough of Mason City; two sisters, Karen (Roger) Sabin of Estherville and Connie Ford of Prairie du Chien, WI; four brothers-in-law, Dennis Krambeer, Wayne Kirkeby, Jerry “Butch” (Mary) Gramlich and Bob (Diane) Gramlich; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Kimberly Wilhelm, in 2007; his brother, Russell Lough; his brother-in-law, Rocky Ford; two sisters-in-law, Margaret “Peggy” Krambeer and Linda Kirkeby; and his father- and mother-in-law, Daniel and Ella Mae Gramlich.
Kenny’s grandchildren served as honorary casketbearers. Casketbearers were his nephews, Todd and Nate Lough, Bryan Gramlich, Danny Kirkeby, Jeff and Rick Gramlich, and Tony and Alex Krambeer.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
