Kenneth J. Glewen

Kenneth J. Glewen, age 96, passed away on Sunday, November 8, 2026 in hospice care at Waupun Christian Home (Waupun, WI), leaving behind a rich legacy of faith, kindness, and devotion to his family, community, and church. 

Ken was born on Mar. 11, 1930 to Winton and Elda (Roberts) Glewen at home on the farm his great-grandparents had built in the 1850s north of Alto, Wisconsin. He was baptized at Alto Reformed Church, the congregation where his great-grandfather had been a founding Elder. Ken walked the proverbial but true country mile each way to his one-room Kolte School near Alto (and yes, very often in the snow, but only once barefoot) through eighth grade. He then hitched rides into town until he graduated from Waupun High School in 1947 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Central College Pella, IA, where he courted his sweetheart, fellow student and local Leighton, Iowa girl Betty Den Hartog. They would eventually marry on Sept. 18, 1953, after they both graduated and Ken had completed the requirements of his drafted service in the U.S. Army, which stationed him in Germany to work as a teacher and lab technician for two years. 

After returning from the Service, Betty taught English in a rural Iowa high school while Ken finished a Master of Science degree from Drake University in Des Moines. His subsequent teaching adventures led him to posts in Tama and Dunbar, Iowa before he and Betty packed up and moved to Wisconsin, where Ken continued teaching in Watertown and then rose to administrative positions of high school Principal in Lodi and District Superintendent in New Glarus and Cedar Grove. His public education career allowed him to exercise various other interests in leading youth, including building science clubs, advising forensic speech teams, and coaching basketball for boys and girls. In Lodi he was even persuaded to take on a year of coaching girls’ ice curling. 

He continued on from 30 years of public education leadership to spend later years in sales and marketing, first with New York Life and then until retirement with Schwann’s frozen foods, where he enjoyed many opportunities to help other community members, as well as meet strangers and regale them with jokes and tales over ice cream.

His community service, including Rotary International, Lions Clubs International, Kiwanis International, Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) and other professional organizations, and American Legion Post 338, was one priority for his leisure time. Another was the investment of his talents in community-building and arts activities, such as singing a cappella harmony as a lead with the Green County Barbershop Chorus (SPEBSQSA), performing several roles in New Glarus’s annual Wilhelm Tell Festival pageant, and spending many years in authentic Dutch costume and wooden shoes for Cedar Grove’s annual Holland Festival. Still, he made plenty of time for solo and group hobbies, including hunting, fishing, gardening, family history, and traveling America and the world to witness beauty, learn history, and visit farflung friends and family. As a lifelong learner and natural educator, Ken always relished the opportunity to share knowledge with people who shared his time. He was a storyteller first and foremost, and people who’ve known Ken throughout his life continue to tell his children the funny, poignant, or useful information they heard from Ken, even at the most unexpected times. 

Three children were born to complete Ken and Betty’s family: Chris (Kathy), Carla (David Kuester), and Eric (Amy). All three children thrived under the enduring, watchful love of their dad, who supported their dozens of childhood interests and accomplishments, followed their careers, travels, adventures, and hobbies with interest, and proudly welcomed their own seven children into the Glewen life story. Two great-grandchildren entered the fold in Ken’s time, with two more on the way that he had looked forward to in the next six months. 

In retirement, Ken and Betty moved to Waupun, Wisconsin to be closer to his boyhood home. There they made their final church home at Trinity Reformed Church. Ken had remained active and dedicated to service in Reformed churches his entire life, worshipping and fellowshipping in many congregations through his 96 years, including many decades serving as Elder, Catechism teacher, Sunday School teacher, Bible study leader, and missions supporter.

Ken and Betty celebrated 50 years of Christian marriage in 2003, two years before Betty’s death. When Betty experienced serious health challenges in later life, Ken became an extraordinary uncredentialed nurse, skillfully and patiently caring for her through two different assisted living facilities and sitting with her at bedside when she moved to the Arms of the Lord.

In his retirement, Ken took special pride in his military service and enjoyed camaraderie with American Legion Post 210. His son Eric accompanied him as Guardian on his Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. in 2017, and a large family gathering welcomed him back with celebration from what he said to be one of the best days of his life. He was declared Veteran of the Year in Waupun in 2021. Having grown up in a sports oriented family, Ken was steeped in the culture of Wisconsin’s collegiate and professional teams with their many joys and tragedies. Like his peers, he supported and enjoyed the Badgers, the Packers, the Braves and Brewers, and the Bucks. Also, like many of his vintage, growing up with radio, his earliest allegiance was to the Chicago Cubs, in whom he maintained a sporting interest throughout his life. Of note, he was in attendance at Milwaukee County Stadium in September 1957 when the Milwaukee Braves clinched the pennant before going on to win the World Series. He lived to bask in the glory of the Milwaukee Brewers winning the 2026 World Series in his final weeks. He was also a proud owner of the Green Bay Packers.

Ken had a fascination with all things aviation and enjoyed attending the annual EAA AirVenture whenever he could and spending many joyful hours in his late 70s flying virtual skies on his X-Plane desktop flight simulator. He proved that it’s never too late to learn. 

Ken’s quest to stay mentally sharp in the golden years was well-known to his children and grandchildren, who were victims of his impressive cribbage skills, demonstrated in a series covering over a decade and ending only in his final months. 

He was always an avid reader, and in his retirement finally had unlimited time and choice to dedicate to this passion. Up until the time his sight would no longer cooperate, he would walk to the public library daily (weather permitting) and read four newspapers. Even when he was relegated to using assistive devices to see, he devoured magazines, newsletters, and the Bible in large print. When that assistance failed, he was eager and grateful to have people read to him, including in the actual hour of his passing, when he listened again to the story of Abraham’s final days in Genesis 25. 

Ken kept in touch with many former students, teachers and staff, as well as church and community members from previous homes and workplaces, and former army buddies. His Christmas card list was extremely long, and he loved corresponding so much that he gave his best effort to learn to use email and phone texting. Visitors were always a joy.

 Ken’s family will spend many years still laughing at memories of his stories, remembering fondly the many, many years they were blessed with his knowledge, humor, support, and love. They know how fortunate they are but will miss him greatly. 

Ken was preceded in death by his wife Betty (Den Hartog) Glewen, his parents, his parents-in-law Josena (De Jong) and John C. Den Hartog; his brother Claryn Glewen, two stillborn infant brothers, his brother-in-law Raymond Den Hartog and sister-in-law Jean, and his niece Beth. 

He is survived by his youngest brother Keith Glewen and sister-in-law Sherry, his sister-in-law Helen Glewen, all of his adult children and their spouses, grandchildren Lindsay, Emily, Jacob, Logan, Megan, Grace, and Zachary, two great grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews and their families, and several first cousins of his own and Betty’s. He is also survived by a true wealth of friends, former colleagues, and community members. 

The family wishes to thank the skilled and compassionate caregivers and staff at Prairie Ridge Assisted Living, Complete Care Christian Home of Waupun, and Generations Hospice, and the staff and members of Trinity Reformed Church in Waupun and Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Waupun.

Visitation for Ken will take place on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at Trinity Reformed Church in Waupun from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Burial will take place at Alto Reformed Cemetery.