Kenneth R Rumler

Kenneth R. Rumler, 87, of Moline, IL, passed away Friday morning, September 27, 2013, at Clarissa C Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf, IA. Visitation will be held at Wendt Funeral Home on Monday, September 30th, from 4 to 7 PM. Services are Tuesday, October 1st, at 10 AM at the funeral home, with burial to follow at Greenview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in East Moline, IL. Memorials may be made to the Bi-State Sportsmen's Association, 817 Cleveland Road, Colona, IL 61241. Ken was born on August 21, 1926, in Carbon Cliff, IL, to Bill and Grace (Samuelson) Rumler. He attended United Township High School in East Moline, IL, and served in the U.S. Army during WWII. He married Lois Hart on November 1, 1947 in East Moline. Ken retired from International Harvester Company, with 30 years of service, at the age of 48, and lived life to the fullest. He will be remembered as a man who always had a story or a joke to tell. He never considered himself old, and had a knack of befriending younger people. K.R. (as he was known to many) was a true outdoorsman, who enjoyed every season: fishing, hunting, skeet shooting, and playing softball in his younger years. His fishing trips took him from the Mississippi River to the Canadian Boundary Waters. His most memorable times were spent fishing in Bagley, WI, and staying in the family cabin at the River of Lakes Resort. K.R.'s hunting season started in September and ended in January. Throughout the fall and winter, he hunted doves, ducks, geese, deer, pheasants, and rabbits. During the duck season, he could be found camping on Blanchard Chute, with one of his golden retrievers, until the Mississippi River froze. He was known as the patriarch of the Rumler Duck Dynasty, which included his brothers, sons, nephews, grandchildren, and adopted hunting family. Perhaps K.R.'s greatest passion was skeet shooting. Known for his peculiar shooting stance and a cigar in his mouth, he started shooting targets in the 1960's. In his later years, he and Lois traveled to Florida in their camper, going to shooting events up and down the Florida coast. Ken won the Illinois State 410 gauge championship in 1966, and was inducted into the Illinois Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame in 1990. Ken was a member of the NRA, American Legion Post 246, Ducks Unlimited, National Skeet Shooting Association, and the Bi-State Gun Club. Surviving are his wife, Lois; children and (spouses) include daughter and son-in-law Cindy (Brian) Rumler, and grandchild Jessica Rumler of Lake Mary, FL; sons and daughters-in-law, David (Lynne) Rumler of Moline, and grandchildren Paul (Leah) Rumler, Audrey (Eric) Kendig, and great-grandchildren Madeline, Samuel, and Lucy Kendig; Dan (Becky) Rumler of Moline, and grandchildren Hanna, Becca, and Molly Rumler; step-grandchildren Jordan, James (Katie) Durkee, and step-great-grandchildren James Jr and Liam; Jenielle and step-great-grandchild Marley Durkee; and a brother, Gary Rumler of Sherrard, IL. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, brothers: Roy, Don, Bill, Cliff, Harold, and Bob, and sisters: Juanita, Joann, and Janice. The family would like to thank Dr. Dadhaniya and his staff, the Genesis Hospice staff, and the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House.

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