Kenneth Dobson

Kenneth Donald Dobson

Kenneth Donald Dobson was born on March 7th, 1924 near Bloomfield, Montana to Earl and Blanche (Kitchin) Dobson. When he died on July 26th, 2019 Ken was 95 years of age and the last living sibling of ten born to Earl and Blanche. While mom and dad did not often attend church services, they made sure the children did. While attending a United Brethren Church in Glendive, Montana Ken trusted Jesus Christ as His Savior and Lord. When he was about 14 years old, Ken's father died. During that time he was already working in a grocery store but increased his hours so that he, and a sister who also went to work, could support the family.

Ken and Evelyn met at church in Glendive, Montana and started dating. Ken worked for the railroad and Evelyn worked at the hospital earning money for Bible College. After becoming engaged Ken was drafted into the army (April of 1943) and in September Evelyn rode the train  to St. Paul, MN to attend St. Paul Bible Institute.

After boot camp in California Ken was sent to the South Pacific with the 43rd Infantry Division. While on R & R in Auckland, New Zealand, Ken was convinced he needed to be baptized by immersion and was baptized in a Baptist church by his army Chaplain. He was honorably discharged on December 2nd, 1945, returning home with a silk Japanese parachute to be made into a wedding dress. Twenty days after being discharged Ken was married to Evelyn Shultz (December 22nd, 1945) residing in Glendive, Montana. Soon after they took the train to St. Paul, Minnesota where they both attended St. Paul Bible Institute. They returned to Glendive where their first son, Floyd, was born. After sitting out a year they returned to St. Paul for school during which time son David was born.  Ken graduated from St. Paul Bible Institute in the spring of 1950. The summer after graduation the family moved to Norman, Oklahoma for language training with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

In the fall of 1950 Ken took his family to Onigum, MN on the shore of Leach Lake not far from Walker, MN where he ministered as a missionary to the Chippewa Indians. While serving there with the Christian and Missionary Alliance he received $100 a month if the money was available. He cut oak and birch trees for firewood with a bow saw, split the wood with an axe to keep the house warm during the long Minnesota winters. The fishing was good and was a regular part of the families diet. While serving in Onigum son Paul (Tim) was born.

From 1952 to 1956 the family lived on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation near Chamberlain, South Dakota, again serving with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, ministering at the Lower Brule mission station and the Crow Creek station besides the Fort Thompson mission station where they lived.  Here three boys were born: Steve, Ron and Les.

In 1956 the family moved to Pierre, South Dakota to help for seven months with an Indian mission led by another missionary.

About this time Ken went to a Bible Conference where he heard Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm preach on Baptist principles. Ken, discussing what he had heard with Dr. Cedarholm, was challenged to study the book of Acts to see how missionary work was done in the New Testament times. He discovered through this study that in every place where the Gospel was preached and people were saved, the new believers were baptized and brought together to form a local church congregation, something that was not done by missionaries serving under the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Ken became a Baptist by conviction and was led to resign the Mission and went on to pastor several different Baptist churches in South Dakota and Colorado.

From 1956 through 1962 Ken ministered to a Baptist Church in Mitchell, South Dakota. It was here that Donna was born. From there Ken took the family to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he started a new church on the east side of town which became Hill Top Heights Baptist Church (now East Side Baptist Church). This church was started with one other family and grew to be self-supporting during the years of 1962 to 1967. From Sioux Falls Ken was called to pastor the First Baptist Church of Leadville, Colorado where he served from March 1967 through March of 1987. In 1987 he left the high altitude of Leadville to pastor Fruita Faith Baptist Church in Fruita, Colorado where he served until 1990. At that time he retired and moved to the Pear Park area of Grand Junction where he and Evelyn lived until he was called home to Heaven.  At the time of his home-going he and Evelyn were members of the Pear Park Baptist Church, Randy David being their pastor.

When Ken was no longer able to live at home he moved to Mesa Manor Care Center (May 2nd, 2019) where he was called home on July 26th, 2019.  Last December Ken and Evelyn celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary.

Ken leaves behind his wife, Evelyn of Grand Junction, sons Floyd (Eileen) of Grand Junction; Dave (Yvonne) of De Smet, South Dakota; Paul (Linda) of Ottumwa, IA; Steve (Carol) of Maple Grove, MN; Ronald (Judy) of Salida, Colorado; Leslie (Terry) of Kamiah, ID; and Donna (Craig) Boeddeker of Pipestone, MN. From these seven children have come 25 grandchildren and 52 great grandchildren with one (that they know of) great-great grandchild on the way.

Services have been entrusted to Browns Cremation and Funeral Service.