Keith Kenneth Whitcomb went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. He was born at Kenosha Hospital on March 25, 1938, to Cedric and Eugenia (Weiss) Whitcomb.
Keith attended a one-room school in Kenosha County for grade school and then went to a Kenosha high school of over 1000 kids and graduated in 1955. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin, Bob Jones University, and Loyola University to study for his Law Degree.
Keith served in the United States Army Special Forces from 1958 – 1963 and proudly became a Vietnam War Vet. Keith also served on the school board for Yorkville Grade School for several years.
Keith attended Calvary Memorial Church in Racine where he served in many capacities such as Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, taught Sunday school, and also sang in the choir. He also attended First Baptist Church in Darlington where he proudly taught Sunday school for many years.
Keith married Janet K. Kiehlbauch on Oct. 20, 1962 and shared 63 years together. They had two sons, Keith Timothy and Peter Alan (April) Whitcomb; and grandchildren Allyson and Nicholas Whitcomb, all of Gratiot.
He was preceded in death by his parents Cedric and Eugenia; and his brother Cedric Whitcomb.
Along with farming, Keith also enjoyed police work. He was Chief of Police of Union Grove, from 1970 until 1979. After moving to Gratiot, he was Chief of Police for Gratiot and South Wayne from 1987 until 2001.
Keith began his farming career in 1956, raising hogs and mink to pay for his brother and his college. In 1958, he bought his first farm and raised hogs, beef, and cash cropped. That was one of two farmsteads that he would completely rebuild. He farmed there for 29 years and then in 1987 made the big move to Gratiot to farm with his two sons, and there completely rebuilt the second farmstead with the help of his two sons. That was his dream to farm with his boys.
After getting out of police work, Keith started his own private detective agency and traveled all over the state of Wisconsin to help out different people that had been wrongly accused of crimes. He was a state certified Arson Investigator. He, along with the help of another private investigator from Wisconsin started the Professional Association of Wisconsin Licensed Investigators, which he served many roles over the years.
Another thing Keith really enjoyed doing was counseling teenagers that had gotten themselves into trouble. He would run into someone that would come up to him and thank him for guiding them in the right direction.
Keith will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
A funeral service will be held Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023 at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Darlington with Rev. Nick McElrath and Rev. Russ Paul of Community Evangelical Free Church in Shullsburg co-officiating. A visitation will be held Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023 from 9 a.m. until the time of services at First Baptist Church.
The Erickson Funeral Home in Darlington is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.ericksonfuneralhome.com.
The family would like to give a special thank-you to all of the doctors and nurses who helped take care of Keith over his stay in the hospital.
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