Kenneth Gannon

Kenneth Gannon, 81 of Union, formerly of Summerville and South Dakota, died Monday, May 1, 2023 at the hospital in La Grande, Oregon

Recitation of the Holy Rosary will begin Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 10 a.m. and will be followed by the Funeral Mass at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in La Grande, Oregon.  Private interment will be held later at the Summerville Cemetery in Summerville, Oregon.  Services are entrusted to Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center of La Grande.

Harry Kenneth Gannon, “Ken” as he was known, was born to a large Catholic family on April 7, 1942 in McIntosh, South Dakota.  He was the youngest child of Susie (Starr) and Leo Gannon.  He grew up on a large ranch near Watauga, South Dakota and attended primary school in a one-room school house on land donated by his parents until high school.  He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in New England, North Dakota with the class of 1960. 

Ken wore many hats all the way from helping to build missile silos in South Dakota, building microwave towers in Colorado, managing a shoe store in Citrus Heights, California, working as a shear operator for Boeing in Seattle, owning a donut shop in La Grande, working construction on the I 84 freeway to working on the Banister pipeline and building forest service fences.  In 1983 he found what he really wanted to do and established Ken’s Yard Care.  Ken loved tending the yards of his many customers which he continued until he retired in 2008, selling the business to his youngest son Kevin who continues to operate Ken’s Yard Care to this day.

Ken was married to Betty McDougal from Colby, Kansas in Reno, Nevada in January of 1964 they welcomed their first child, a daughter in December of 1964.  Two sons arrived later.

Ken wanted to find a place in the country for his family and he always wanted a log home so he purchased a 10 acre parcel of land on Craig Loop near Summerville, Oregon.  He and Jess Berry cut 150, 60 foot logs which were hauled to Summerville.  The family worked hard to construct a large log home with these logs.  The family enjoyed the labor of love and moved into the house in 1983. The last thing Ken built was a large greenhouse that was a gift to us all.  Ken taught his children the value of hard work and the love of God.

With Ken’s failing eyesight, it was necessary to find a more manageable place.  Ken and Betty moved to Union in 2020 to be closer to their daughter, Shara.  Ken survived Covid in April 2021 and passed to his Heavenly rest on May 1, 2023. 

Besides his wife of 59 years, Betty Gannon of Union, he is survived by his children Shara and her husband Cody Hindman of Union, Kenneth E. “Kenny” and his wife Julia Gannon of Sherwood, Oregon, Kevin P. Gannon of Union, 7 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren a brother Robert and his wife Maejul Gannon of Walla Walla, Washington, a sister Kathleen of Long Beach, California and many nieces and nephews.

Contributions in memory of Ken Gannon may be made to the Leukemia Society.

Online condolences may be left at www.danielsknopp.com