Kenneth L. Tompkins, 88, of Great Bend, passed away Sept. 17, 2015, at Cherry Village Nursing Home, Great Bend.  He was born on Sept. 20, 1926, on the family farm northeast of Byers in rural Stafford County, the son of Lawrence W. and Gladys I. (Miles) Tompkins. On Oct. 29, 1949, he married Fern A. Miller at Great Bend. He owned and operated Kenny’s Farm Service at St. John. He was employed for 18 years by the Kansas Forestry Fish and Game Commission serving at Glen Elder Reservoir as Area Manager.
Kenny graduated from Antrim High School in 1945. Soon after that he served two years in the U.S. Army during World War II and was stationed in the Philippines. He received the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Philippine Independence Ribbon and World War II Victory Medal. He had lifetime memberships in Morrison-McFadden VFW Post No. 3111 and American Legion Post No. 180, both of Great Bend.
Survivors include his wife, of the home; two sons, Gregory Tompkins (Lori), Ashville, Ala., and Mark Tompkins (Doris), St. John; a daughter, Teresa Bachand (Denis) Great Bend; six grandchildren, Laura Davis (Kevin), Amanda Meiklejohn (Matt), Leah Tompkins, Brett Tompkins (Ranee), Kristy Pickett (Jeremy), and Trevor Maneth (Michel); step-granddaughter, Kimberly Bachand and 12 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Raymond and Tommy, and one great-grandchild, Brayden Davis.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, at Minnis Chapel, St. John, with Daryl Perry presiding. Burial will follow in the Fairview Park Cemetery, St. John. Visitation will be from 1-7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home with family present from 5-7 p.m.  Memorials may be given to Alzheimer’s Research or Fairview Park Cemetery Improvement Fund in care of the funeral home.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Minnis Chapel*
P.O. Box 34; 526 E. 4th Ave.
St. John, KS 67576
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Sept. 20, 2015