Kenneth Leroy Ollek

His family moved to Hillsboro Kansas a year later to a predominantly Mennonite community of 2000 people. Ken was the oldest of five children. After Christian instruction in the doctrines of the Bible and upon confessing his faith, he was confirmed into communicant membership at Zion Lutheran Church, in Hillsboro Kansas on April 10, 1949.

After graduation from Hillsboro High School and during his Seminary years at Concordia in St. Louis, he was given permission to wed while still in school, to his high school sweetheart Jetta LaVon Hiebert, whom he’d known since kindergarten. They married December 27, 1958. “Captain of the football team marries the homecoming queen.” Their wedding was held at Zion Lutheran in Hillsboro.

Ken and Jetta spent one year in St. Paul Minnesota, and one year in Detroit, Michigan where he served as vicar/intern at Holy Cross Lutheran Church while Jetta, who was an Registered Nurse, worked part time at the local hospital in Minneapolis.

Upon graduation from Concordia Seminary in 1961, he began pastoral ministry at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Quincy, Washington and at Christ the Savior Lutheran Church in George, Washington.

This was also the start of their expanding family. Timothy James (Portland, Oregon) was born in 1962 and Susan Joy (Mesa, Arizona) in 1963. Susan Married Allen Baker of Scottsdale, Arizona and settled in Mesa after five years in Las Vegas, Nevada. They have two sons, Jake Allen (28-USAF Portugal) and Eliot Joel (Adventurer/Engineer).

Ken Began Institutional Ministry in 1964, first in Walla Walla, Washington. Then after some specialized Chaplaincy training in Napa, California they moved to Salem, Oregon in 1970 where he continued to be Institutional Chaplain until his retirement in 1997. Ken and Jetta enjoyed travelling, taking many international trips and visits to see their grandsons and family in Arizona.

Ken and Jetta moved from their family home in Keizer to West Salem around 2006, and became members of Peace Lutheran Church. Jetta passed away in 2022.

A burial service is planned for October 19th, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Restlawn Funeral Home and Memory Gardens, 201 N Oak Grove Rd, Salem, Oregon, 97304, off highway 22, following morning worship at 9:15 AM at Peace Lutheran Church, at 1525 Glen Creek Rd NW, Salem, Oregon, 97304.

SOLIO DEO GLORIA John 3:16