Kenneth David Knoble, 89, of Rector, a retired Wisconsin rural electric cooperative executive, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2008, after a brief illness. He had been a resident of Rector since 1988 after his marriage to Elizabeth (Betty) Crow.

Mr. Knoble was born March 26, 1918, in Gays Mills (Crawford County), Wis., to William F. and Letta J. Riddiough Knoble.

He is survived by a son, Michael W. Knoble (Karen) of Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; a grandson, Michael G. Knoble (Vickie) of Baraboo, Wis.; a granddaughter, Michelle Knoble of Portage, Wis.; two brothers, Clayton W. Knoble (Lena) of Petersburgh, Wis., and Darold R. Knoble (Lois) of Boscobel, Wis., and a sister, Dorothy H. Johnson of Wisconsin Dells.

Also surviving are stepchildren Charles T. Crow (Anne) of Little Rock, Wendell C. Crow (Jane) of Anaheim, Calif., and Cathy Crow Henderson (Scott) of Greers Ferry; six step-grandchildren, Elizabeth Crow Mowery (Joe) of Little Rock, Suzanne Crow (Jim Moske) of New York City, Mark Crow (Shelly) of Capistrano Beach, Calif., Amy Crow Gardea (Roman) of Whittier, Calif., Karen Henderson Fleischmann (Chris) of Memphis, Tenn., and Mark Henderson of Little Rock, and nine step-great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Knoble was preceded in death by his first wife, Eleanor L. Gross Knoble; three brothers-in-law, Wilford Johnson (Dorothy), LeRoy Gross (Selma), and Mitchell Gross (Ella), and his second wife, Betty Crow Knoble.

Mr. Knoble was a veteran of World War II, serving in the United States Army as a transportation and logistics engineer for HQ Company, 3rd Port Transportation Corps, Oran, North Africa, and in the European Theater in Marseilles and Lyon, France. He received the Presidential Citation for Seaport Cargo and Materials Handling.

Following his military discharge in 1945, he returned to the local electric cooperative where he had started work as a general clerk in 1941. After 40 years' service he rose steadily through the organization, retiring in 1981 as Superintendent of Crawford Electric Cooperative REA in Gays Mills.

While living in Gays Mills, Mr. Knoble served as Boy Scout master. He was the first World War II veteran to command the McCormick-Rose American Legion, and served in several posts in the W.W. Childs Masonic Lodge # 295, including Worshipful Master.

After his retirement, he moved to Florida. He met Betty Crow while visiting friends in Arcadia, Fla. Both had been recently widowed, and after a brief courtship they married, dividing their time between their home in Florida and their respective home states of Wisconsin and Arkansas.

He was fond of traveling throughout the country. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed hunting and fishing until his declining health limited his outdoor activity to walking in the neighborhood. He especially enjoyed his role as a grandfather and great-grandfather to members of the various families around the country.

Mr. Knoble was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Rector, where a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, with visitation at the church at 1 p.m. prior to the service. A memorial service and burial also will be held in Gays Mills, Wis.

Memorials may be made to the Rector Public Library, 121 W. Fourth St., Rector, AR 72461; the First United Methodist Church, Third and Main Streets, Rector, AR 72461; to the Gays Mills Public Library, 501 Main Street, Gays Mills, WI 54631, or the Gays Mills United Methodist Church, 305 S. Rebecca St., Gays Mills, WI 54631.