Kenneth L. "Ken" Culver

Kenneth "Ken" Lee Culver, Olathe, Kansas died February 18, 2016 at Evergreen Community of Johnson County at 84 years old. Ken was born on September 12, 1931 in Yates Center, Kansas. He was the 3rd son of Lesslie Charles Culver and Clara Mae (Burkey) Culver. He graduated from the Kansas School for the Deaf in 1949. His training at KSD was in Linotype operations and his first employment after graduation was in St. Johns, Kansas. He married his high school sweetheart, Peggy Joyce Smith from Hoxie Kansas on October 5, 1952 at the Christian Church in Hoxie. They moved to Colby, Kansas where he was employed by the Colby Free Press from 1952-1967. To this union three children were born in Colby. In 1967, the family moved to Lawrence, Kansas where he was employed at Allen Press until his retirement in 1996 in photo-composition and computers. In 2005, Ken & Peggy moved to Shawnee, Kansas until they moved into Evergreen Community of Johnson County on February 18, 2015. Ken was involved in many roles for the Kansas Deaf Association for many years. He was elected and served as President from 1975-1979. In 1991, he was honored by the Association for his dedication and became President Emeritus. He and Peggy assisted with the creation of the first in the nation the Deaf Cultural Center in Olathe. Upon the completion of the DCC, they continued to be volunteers for many years. Ken was selected and honored as Man of the Year for Kansas School for the Deaf Alumni Association in 2004. He was also honored in 2014 as Hall of Fame Inductee in Community services for KSDAA. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, his brother Gerald, and his niece Brenda. He leaves behind his wife, Peggy of 63 years of marriage, daughter, Nancy (Mark) Edelman of Boone, Iowa, son, Dale (Mary) of Shawnee, Kansas, and daughter Judith (Kelly) Wheeler of Lawrence, Kansas. Ken has 5 grandchildren, Amanda (Justin) Wright, Kansas City, Keith Culver, Kansas City, Adam Edelman, Austin, Texas, Alex (Derek) Merk West Point, Iowa and Aaron Edelman, Boone, Iowa. He was great-grandpa to Sawyer Merk, Mila Wright and Theo Merk. Ken also is survived by his brother Leonard (Doris), Mesa, AZ and his niece, Linda (Dale) Johnson, Loveland, CO. A Celebration of Life for Ken will be February 28, 2016 in the community room at Evergreen Community in Olathe, Kansas at 2:00 pm. Inurnment will be at Hoxie City Cemetery in Hoxie, Kansas at a later date. Memorials in honor of Ken are Deaf Cultural Center, Olathe, Kansas, Evergreen Community of Johnson County, Olathe, Kansas and Hospice Partners of Kansas, Basehor, Kansas. They may be sent in care of Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, PO Box 987, Hoxie, KS.