QUINCY — Father Kenneth J. Venvertloh, age 73, retired priest of the Springfield diocese, died on Oct. 19 in Blessing Hospital.
He was born on June 1, 1939, in Quincy, the son of Ferdie and Elizabeth (Grawe) Venvertloh. He was ordained on May 21, 1967 in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.
Father Venvertloh was assistant pastor at Our Saviour, Jacksonville from 1967 to 1969 and again from 1971-1975. He served as assistant at St. Charles Borromeo, Charleston, from 1975 to 1981, while also serving as chaplain for the Newman Center at Eastern Illinois University. He was parochial administrator of St. Boniface, Edwardsville, in 1981; pastor of Holy Trinity, Stonington, in 1982-1985; parochial administrator of St. Stanislaus, Macon, from 1982-1985. He was pastor of St. Mary in Quincy from 1985-1995 and served as dean of the Quincy Deanery from 1989-1995. He was pastor of Our Saviour in Jacksonville from 1995-2010 and was dean of the Jacksonville Deanery 2002-2010. He was priest-moderator of St. Luke, Virginia, from 1998-2005; parochial administrator of St. Luke, Virginia from 2005-2008; and parochial administrator of St. Fidelis, Arenzville, and St. Augustine, Ashland, from 2007-2008. He retired from active ministry in 2010.
Father Venvertloh served on various boards, including Quincy Notre Dame High School, Routt Catholic High School, and the Blessing Hospital Chaplaincy program, and numerous other civic and parochial associations.
Surviving are: four siblings, Dianne Fessler of Greeley, Colo., Linda Rull of Quincy, Dale Venvertloh of Quincy, and Jan Zeidler of Quincy; 10 nieces and nephews; an aunt, Betty Zanger; numerous great-nieces and great-nephews and other relatives.
The funeral Mass was Oct. 24 in Blessed Sacrament Church, with Bishop Thomas John Paprocki presiding. Interment was in Calvary Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Ferdie and Betty Venvertloh Scholarship Fund at Quincy Notre Dame; Blessed Sacrament Parish, Quincy; or Our Savior Parish, Jacksonville.
Duker & Haugh Funeral Home, Quincy, was in charge of arrangements.