Ronald Ketcham Sr

Resided in Escanaba, MI
Died October 1, 2017

Ronald L. Ketcham, Sr., age 66, of Escanaba passed away on Sunday, October 1, 2017 at St. Jude’s Assisted Living in Escanaba.

Ronald was born August 13, 1951 in Escanaba, the son of Edward and Violet (Trentin) Ketcham. He was raised in Gladstone and graduated from the Gladstone High School in 1970. He worked for the C&N Railroad for several years and enjoyed working in the woods during the winter and volunteering with Pathways. Ronald was a beloved father and a great father figure to family and friends. He had a good sense of humor and loved to joke around. He was also very caring and willing to help anyone.

Ronald is survived by his sons, Ronald L. Ketcham Jr. of Gladstone and Nicholas “Nick” Ketcham of Escanaba; his daughters, Lisa (Jake) Brady of Grand Rapids, MI and Sami (Jeremy) Clark of Iron Mountain; grandchildren, MacKenzie Marie and Marcus Cardale Clark and Chase Arthur and Lillian Marie Ketcham; brothers, Ed (Dorothy) Ketcham of Indiana, Robert (Rose) Ketcham of Sauk Village, IL, Jerry (Vivian) Ketcham of Gladstone, Dennis Ketcham of Gladstone, Mike (Laurie) Ketcham of Gladstone and Tim (Kathy) Ketcham of McHenry, IL; sisters, Wanda (Chuck) Dementer of Naubinway, Patsy (the late Henry) Couillard of Gladstone, Carol Ketcham of Escanaba and Sue (Bob) Kohnert of Wisconsin; sister-in-law, Patsy Ketcham of Escanaba and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, infant brother, Daniel, brothers, James, Charles and Rodney and his first wife, Suzanne Ketcham.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, October 5 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Skradski Funeral Home in Gladstone. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:30 PM at All Saints Catholic Church with Rev. Fr. Brian Gerber officiating. A luncheon will follow in the church fellowship hall.. Ronald will be laid to rest in the Fernwoood Cemetery in Gladstone.

11 Tributes for “Ronald Ketcham Sr”

    Hi. Was a Pleasure to have known and spent time with your Dad. We would visit with Mr.Ron very frequently at St.Judes.He was comical at times. Was Very Kind And Sharing. He would lend us his cd’s while Quiet time(playing game,doing crafts or just visiting) He had Great taste in music He will be Missed ❤️❤️ May he R I P with our Lord Jesus

    It’s with great sadness that I read of Ron’s passing. Ron and I worked rail gang for the C&NW in Wisconsin, and roomed together for the summer. Without a doubt, the hardest worker I’ve ever been around. The men from Wisconsin were just blown away by his work ethic. They began to call him, “Can’t” Ketcham, simply because nobody could keep up with him! Ron always had such a gentle, caring spirit. I will miss you, brother.

    Wonderful, Kindhearted Man, Good friend of my brother Gary and my mothers, So happy to have met him, God has received another angel I’m so sorry for your loss , May You Rest In Peace Ron

    This is Courtney Bergstrom and Jessa Mattson’s grandmother. I am so sorry for your loss Ron. It’s very hard to lose a parent.

    Saddened to hear of Ron’s passing. I worked 12 years and was Ron’s foreman working for the then C&NW rail road. Our experiences together will always bring a smyle. Ron was a valued caring fun hard working man who you could count on always.
    R.I.P. Old friend, your friendship I will cherish forever!

    Lisa and Ron … so sorry to hear of the of the loss your father . May he rest in the arms of lord peacefully . You both are in our thoughts and prayers .

Post a Tribute

Your email address will not be published. Tributes are moderated before posted. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.