Kenn Churchill

KENN M. "KC" CHURCHILL

Muscatine

Kenn M. "KC" Churchill, 69, of Muscatine, formerly of Marion, passed away Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, at Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha after a long illness. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, at Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home in Muscatine. The Rev. Alex Kindred of First Christian Church will officiate. A time of food and fellowship will be held at VFW Post 1565 following the funeral service. Burial will take place in Garrett Cemetery, Keokuk County near Delta. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Mercy or Camp Courageous.

Online condolences: www.wittichfuneral home.com.

"KC" was born June 8, 1946, in Keswick, the son of Marvin and Dorothy Kitzman Churchill. After living in the Keswick and What Cheer area, the family moved to Marion in 1963. He was a graduate of Marion High School class of 1966. Faced with the military draft, he enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1966 and served until 1968, achieving the rank of corporal. He served during the Vietnam conflict and was seriously wounded three different times, including at the battle of Con Thien. He was a three-time Purple Heart recipient and also had achieved the National Defense Service Medal and Vietnamese Service Metal.

Over the years he worked at several jobs and raised and trained redbone coonhounds. At one time he had two dozen dogs with names for all of them. He and his dogs actively participated in American RedBone Days. In 1993, he captured King of Show with Jack Hammer and the Queen of Show with National Velvet. He truly loved his dogs and enjoyed competing with them.

But it was his Marine Corps service of which he was most proud. He unceasingly promoted the Marine Corps and its values. Hundreds of individuals, from the streets of Muscatine to the halls of the veterans hospital in Iowa City, have heard his cadence calls. Many were instructed in the mantra of the Marines: Improvise, Adapt and Overcome; there is no such thing as "can't and Semper Fi."

The family would like to thank the Hospice House of Mercy and the VA medical center for its care of Kenn and to the many family and friends who came to visit with him during his illness.

Those left to honor his wishes include one brother, Larry Churchill and wife Esther of Marion; one sister, Mary Churchill of Marion; several nieces and nephews; and many special friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Ronald, Joseph and Michael Churchill.