Kenneth Lavon Anastas, Sr. was born to Lavon and Audrey (Carr) Anastas on August 16, 1937 in Mineral Wells, Texas, and had two younger sisters, Gwendolyn and Claudia.
Kenneth's grandfather, Oppie A. Anastas, was born around 1886 in Turkey; he emigrated from Turkey with his parents who were also born in Turkey and later married a Texas woman.
Kenneth met Jessie Dean Wyatt in Mineral Wells when she was only 14 years old and he was 17. Their first date was a "sweetheart banquet" at Immanuel Baptist Church. They began dating after that and neither ever dated anyone else. The couple married on June 22, 1957 shortly after Jessie's family had moved to Fort Worth, Texas. They had three children -- Kimberly Jayne, Deborah Jean, and Kenneth Lavon Jr.
As a young man, Kenneth worked for his father-in-law, Rev. William Ray Wyatt, who taught him the building trade, and Kenneth became an excellent carpenter and contractor. For many years he was an independent contractor building houses, then later went to work for Pamex Corporation building Pancho's Mexican Cafeteria and Spanish Galleon buildings in multiple states. He became a vice president in that firm and was very successful, earning both a good salary and stock options, which enabled him to provide well for his family.
Kenneth also learned to hunt and fish from his father-in-law, who had no sons of his own. These sports became a lifelong passion which he enjoyed as well as water sports. He and Jessie owned their own boat for many years and spent many fun weekends with their children on the area lakes.
Kenneth developed dementia and after several years of continued mental decline, an accident occurred which sent Kenneth to a hospital with a head injury. It was there that doctors asked his daughters how long their father had had his "condition" and they learned for the first time about his disease. He was able to live for a few years at the Crazy Hotel Retirement Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas, but had to enter the Grace Ponds nursing home in Fort Worth around 1996. Although he became the grandfather of two sets of twins while he was still alive, Kenneth never was able to realize the joy of knowing them.
On August 24, 2006 he was taken to the hospital to be checked and unexpectedly died there the same day. The family decided to donate his body to science, and a memorial service was held at White's Chapel of Memories in Weatherford on August 28, with his ashes to be retained by his children. After his first wife, Jessie, died in February 2022, Kenneth's ashes were buried with her at Mount Olivet.
The funeral text used by Rev. Houser was Psalms 34. The funeral program also had this Bible quotation: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away..." -- Rev. 21.4.
Kenneth's grandfather, Oppie A. Anastas, was born around 1886 in Turkey; he emigrated from Turkey with his parents who were also born in Turkey and later married a Texas woman.
Kenneth met Jessie Dean Wyatt in Mineral Wells when she was only 14 years old and he was 17. Their first date was a "sweetheart banquet" at Immanuel Baptist Church. They began dating after that and neither ever dated anyone else. The couple married on June 22, 1957 shortly after Jessie's family had moved to Fort Worth, Texas. They had three children -- Kimberly Jayne, Deborah Jean, and Kenneth Lavon Jr.
As a young man, Kenneth worked for his father-in-law, Rev. William Ray Wyatt, who taught him the building trade, and Kenneth became an excellent carpenter and contractor. For many years he was an independent contractor building houses, then later went to work for Pamex Corporation building Pancho's Mexican Cafeteria and Spanish Galleon buildings in multiple states. He became a vice president in that firm and was very successful, earning both a good salary and stock options, which enabled him to provide well for his family.
Kenneth also learned to hunt and fish from his father-in-law, who had no sons of his own. These sports became a lifelong passion which he enjoyed as well as water sports. He and Jessie owned their own boat for many years and spent many fun weekends with their children on the area lakes.
Kenneth developed dementia and after several years of continued mental decline, an accident occurred which sent Kenneth to a hospital with a head injury. It was there that doctors asked his daughters how long their father had had his "condition" and they learned for the first time about his disease. He was able to live for a few years at the Crazy Hotel Retirement Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas, but had to enter the Grace Ponds nursing home in Fort Worth around 1996. Although he became the grandfather of two sets of twins while he was still alive, Kenneth never was able to realize the joy of knowing them.
On August 24, 2006 he was taken to the hospital to be checked and unexpectedly died there the same day. The family decided to donate his body to science, and a memorial service was held at White's Chapel of Memories in Weatherford on August 28, with his ashes to be retained by his children. After his first wife, Jessie, died in February 2022, Kenneth's ashes were buried with her at Mount Olivet.
The funeral text used by Rev. Houser was Psalms 34. The funeral program also had this Bible quotation: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away..." -- Rev. 21.4.
Kenneth Lavon Anastas, Sr. was born to Lavon and Audrey (Carr) Anastas on August 16, 1937 in Mineral Wells, Texas, and had two younger sisters, Gwendolyn and Claudia.
Kenneth's grandfather, Oppie A. Anastas, was born around 1886 in Turkey; he emigrated from Turkey with his parents who were also born in Turkey and later married a Texas woman.
Kenneth met Jessie Dean Wyatt in Mineral Wells when she was only 14 years old and he was 17. Their first date was a "sweetheart banquet" at Immanuel Baptist Church. They began dating after that and neither ever dated anyone else. The couple married on June 22, 1957 shortly after Jessie's family had moved to Fort Worth, Texas. They had three children -- Kimberly Jayne, Deborah Jean, and Kenneth Lavon Jr.
As a young man, Kenneth worked for his father-in-law, Rev. William Ray Wyatt, who taught him the building trade, and Kenneth became an excellent carpenter and contractor. For many years he was an independent contractor building houses, then later went to work for Pamex Corporation building Pancho's Mexican Cafeteria and Spanish Galleon buildings in multiple states. He became a vice president in that firm and was very successful, earning both a good salary and stock options, which enabled him to provide well for his family.
Kenneth also learned to hunt and fish from his father-in-law, who had no sons of his own. These sports became a lifelong passion which he enjoyed as well as water sports. He and Jessie owned their own boat for many years and spent many fun weekends with their children on the area lakes.
Kenneth developed dementia and after several years of continued mental decline, an accident occurred which sent Kenneth to a hospital with a head injury. It was there that doctors asked his daughters how long their father had had his "condition" and they learned for the first time about his disease. He was able to live for a few years at the Crazy Hotel Retirement Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas, but had to enter the Grace Ponds nursing home in Fort Worth around 1996. Although he became the grandfather of two sets of twins while he was still alive, Kenneth never was able to realize the joy of knowing them.
On August 24, 2006 he was taken to the hospital to be checked and unexpectedly died there the same day. The family decided to donate his body to science, and a memorial service was held at White's Chapel of Memories in Weatherford on August 28, with his ashes to be retained by his children. After his first wife, Jessie, died in February 2022, Kenneth's ashes were buried with her at Mount Olivet.
The funeral text used by Rev. Houser was Psalms 34. The funeral program also had this Bible quotation: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away..." -- Rev. 21.4.
Kenneth's grandfather, Oppie A. Anastas, was born around 1886 in Turkey; he emigrated from Turkey with his parents who were also born in Turkey and later married a Texas woman.
Kenneth met Jessie Dean Wyatt in Mineral Wells when she was only 14 years old and he was 17. Their first date was a "sweetheart banquet" at Immanuel Baptist Church. They began dating after that and neither ever dated anyone else. The couple married on June 22, 1957 shortly after Jessie's family had moved to Fort Worth, Texas. They had three children -- Kimberly Jayne, Deborah Jean, and Kenneth Lavon Jr.
As a young man, Kenneth worked for his father-in-law, Rev. William Ray Wyatt, who taught him the building trade, and Kenneth became an excellent carpenter and contractor. For many years he was an independent contractor building houses, then later went to work for Pamex Corporation building Pancho's Mexican Cafeteria and Spanish Galleon buildings in multiple states. He became a vice president in that firm and was very successful, earning both a good salary and stock options, which enabled him to provide well for his family.
Kenneth also learned to hunt and fish from his father-in-law, who had no sons of his own. These sports became a lifelong passion which he enjoyed as well as water sports. He and Jessie owned their own boat for many years and spent many fun weekends with their children on the area lakes.
Kenneth developed dementia and after several years of continued mental decline, an accident occurred which sent Kenneth to a hospital with a head injury. It was there that doctors asked his daughters how long their father had had his "condition" and they learned for the first time about his disease. He was able to live for a few years at the Crazy Hotel Retirement Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas, but had to enter the Grace Ponds nursing home in Fort Worth around 1996. Although he became the grandfather of two sets of twins while he was still alive, Kenneth never was able to realize the joy of knowing them.
On August 24, 2006 he was taken to the hospital to be checked and unexpectedly died there the same day. The family decided to donate his body to science, and a memorial service was held at White's Chapel of Memories in Weatherford on August 28, with his ashes to be retained by his children. After his first wife, Jessie, died in February 2022, Kenneth's ashes were buried with her at Mount Olivet.
The funeral text used by Rev. Houser was Psalms 34. The funeral program also had this Bible quotation: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away..." -- Rev. 21.4.
Gravesite Details
Ashes buried with his first wife, Jessie
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