Kenneth Roy Ehrhart of Union Grove, WI, passed away into eternal life on May 17th, 2026.
Ken was born June 28, 1936, to Roman & Gertrude Ehrhart in Aurora, IL. In 1949, they moved their family farm to the Town of Dover in Wisconsin. Ken was a proud Rochester Ag School graduate, where he was active in sports and developed his passion for farming while making lifelong friends. Soon after graduation, Ken enlisted in the US Army and proudly served his country for two years. Even in recent days, he loved to share stories of his time in Germany with Bernie and Bob.
After his time in the service, while at a dance, he found the love of his life, Darlene Fredrich, daughter of Clarence & Helen Fredrich of Spring Prairie, WI. Ken and Darlene were married in a snowstorm on April 15th, 1961. As lifelong farmers, they made their home in the Town of Dover, welcoming three children, Debbie, Linda, and Jeff, while raising crops and animals and becoming active members in the community. Until the day he died, Ken could still be found in the fields filling seed, mowing a ditch within any vicinity of the farm, running errands, chatting with customers, and tidying up after the crew.
Beyond farming, Kenny was involved with and a leader in many volunteer organizations, including the Union Grove Knights of Columbus, St. Mary’s Church of Dover, the Wisconsin Soybean Association, the Racine County Farm Bureau Association, the Kansasville Fire Department, and the St. Mary’s Men’s Club. Additionally, he was a member of the Racine County Fair Board, where he served as Vice President for several years. Upon his ‘retirement’ from leadership positions at the fair, he settled into what many reading this will remember him for: opening the gates at 5 am for all the young exhibitors and their families, greeting them daily with a smile and a joke, and making everyone’s stressful show day start just a little bit brighter. He proudly opened those gates until he was 87 years old.
In his pastime, Kenny enjoyed playing and coaching sports, watching his grandchildren play their sports, and cheering on all the Wisconsin teams, especially the Brewers. He loved getting together with their Card Club, going to shows at The Fireside Theater, “talking shop” at the farm, and taking his grandkids’ money every holiday at the card table. His family will remember him for the tradition of his Saturday trip to “the dump,” which was always complete with a sweet treat and a winning lottery ticket from the gas station on the way back home.
Kenny was a devoted father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, cousin, uncle, neighbor, and friend, but above all, he was a devoted husband. Kenny & Darlene recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary, and 65 years later, he still spends every moment courting her and making sure she is taken care of.
Ken was “one of the good ones,” who was always there with a smile for family and friends. If he wasn’t given a job to do, he looked around and found one, instilling in his family that there was always a way to be of help. And while he wasn’t able to celebrate his 90th birthday in the way he had hoped, he never took for granted how fortunate he was to live in this community,
surrounded by his family, his friends, and his loving wife as long as he did. We will all fondly remember him reflecting, “You know, we were very lucky…It’s amazing!”
Ken is survived by his wife, Darlene; his children, Linda (Marvin) Hegemann, Jeff (Kathy) Ehrhart, and his son-in-law, Mike Kempken; his grandchildren, Chad (Kari) Hegemann, Jared Kempken, Andrea (Aaron) Chart, Jacob Kempken, Zack (Breanna) Hegemann, Justin (Jessica) Ehrhart, and Kevin Ehrhart. He will forever be remembered for his knack for making all 10 of his great-grandchildren giggle! He is further survived by his sister, Karen Hansen, and his brother-in-law, Donny (Sue) Fredrich, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter Debbie Kempken and his granddaughter Melissa Kempken, as well as his siblings Al, Gerald, Nancy, and Lois.
Visitation with family and friends will be on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 4-7 pm at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Dover, WI, or on Friday, May 22nd, 10-11:30 a.m., also at the church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at noon on Friday, May 22nd, followed by burial with full Military Honors at St. Mary’s Parish Cemetery.
The family would like to thank the Kansasville Rescue Squad and Aurora of Mt. Pleasant for their commitment and care in Kenny’s final hours, as well as Dr. Weber and Dr. Welka for their long-time care and friendship. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Racine County Ag Society are suggested to continue his legacy at the Racine County Fair.
Schuette-Daniels Funeral Home & Crematory
625 S. Browns Lake Drive
Burlington, WI 53105
(262) 763-3434
www.danielsfamilyfuneral.com
