Kenneth Bemke

He is preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Carole Sue, in 2016; father, John Ben Bemke; mother, Eleanor Wojnowski; stepfather, Joseph Romatz; and brothers Ronald and Terrence.

He is survived by his daughters Dawn and Debbie; son, John (Stacey); grandchildren Kelsey (Moises), Cale (Kayleigh), and Cameron; great-grandchildren Beck, Remy, and Piper; and brother, Richard (Gloria).

Our dad was strong, skilled, and very particular. He was very proud of his time in the Army and was awarded the expert marksmanship qualification badge. He had an innate ability to build and fix anything. He worked as a machinist in the tool and die industry and took great pride in his career. He and our mother were also entrepreneurs and owned and operated Cherry Creek Party Store and Mio Feed and Tack in Mio, Michigan. He was the backbone of our family farm by building the stalls and fences for our passion for horses, and made everything run behind the scene. Chopping and hauling wood, mowing, and taking in nature were some of the things he loved. One of his greatest passions was hunting. He was respectful of nature and taught us how to be good stewards.

Our parents enjoyed living in different places and making friends in West Branch, MI, Dunnellon, Florida, and finally in Byron Center, MI.

A private family service will be held at the gravesite in Winchester Cemetery on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The family welcomes memories and messages at www.cookcaresbyron.com in their online guestbook.