Kenneth Wayne Hittle

Kenneth Wayne Hittle was a true American patriot born on October 17, 1931, in Stillwater, PA to Oscar Hittle and Grace (Coleman) Hittle.  He fought a 27-year long battle with leukemia and died on Friday, June 18, 2010.  He lived out his final years in the town of Orangeville, PA with his wife Josephine Ann (Snyder) Hittle.

Kenneth Wayne Hittle, also affectionately known as “Chub” by some of siblings and closest family and friends, has moved on, and given his ever-present thoughtfulness and consideration of others, I’m sure he would encourage us to as well.

 

His passing, from this world into the next, brings a solemn moment and pause for reflection for almost all, not the least of which, for me his eldest son, who like you perhaps may take a moment to ponder, who was Ken Hittle and how can we best honor his memory?

 

Ken Hittle was a simple man, a brother, uncle, cousin, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend to everyone.  Little is known or documented of his early years, as he was born in Stillwater, Pennsylvania, on 17 October 1931 during the Great Depression in these United States of America (USA).  Growing up, under these most austere conditions forced sacrifices and compromises upon his parents then which would seem impossible, even incomprehensible today. 

 

The youngest son and 13th of 14 children, Ken was born to Oscar and Grace Hittle in a small brick home along a long, straight stretch of road, down the middle of one of the most fertile valleys in the “Still Waters” of PA.  This little red brick house still stands to this day and is still in the middle of large fertile fields. 

 

Growing up in the toughest economic times our Nation has ever seen, Ken’s parents were not able to afford to feed or keep him properly, so at the tender age of 9, he was “farmed-out”, a not too uncommon occurrence during those days, where children would be sent to live with and work on neighboring farms of friends or other family members. 

 

While Ken shared memories in years past, of playing with siblings as a child, rolling each other down hills in old truck tires or being the target for older brothers practicing real “knife throwing skills”, those childhood memories seemed few and far between, as he had to grow up fast.

 

By the age of 14, Ken had already left the farm and was working in a sweat shop silk mill in Bloomsburg, PA.  Big and strong from the farm work, for his age at 14, and making good money in the silk mill, he was able to buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle with a “suicide shifter”, that you may have seen in some of his earliest photographs, with one included in this collection of memorial photos of Ken Hittle’s life. 

 

By necessity, forced to quit school in the 8th grade, Ken had few options between farming and factory work.  Even though his father, Oscar, had registered to serve in both World War I and World War II, Ken was too young for the “Service” during WWII, but volunteered to do his duty in the United States Air Force (USAF) during the Korean War, where he was trained initially as a cook, but immediately requested cross-training and served primarily as a Military Policemen (MP) or as an Air Policeman as known in the USAF, where he earned several military honors, medals and ribbons.  It was during this period that Ken experienced what would become one of the great joys of his life and create a legacy for the “love of flying” that he would pass onto most of his children, one of which would eventually become the pilot that Ken always dreamed of becoming.  I recall the photos of his airborne adventures during the war and the sparkle in his eyes as he told and retold the stories of flying, friendship and photography during the waning days of the war. It was during the Korean War, while Airman, then Sergeant Hittle was entrusted with classified courier duty, that he formed close relationships with a number of military pilots.  After the war, it was one of these pilots that would fly into the grass airstrip at the Benton, PA airport, to once again take to the skies together, then reminisce over a cold one at the local VFW.  Years later, Ken’s son Monty Hittle would earn his pilot wings and then manage that same Benton airport that had provided Ken the post-war opportunity to shed his earthly ties and enjoy the freedom of flying, as Ken’s time had not yet come to earn his wings.

 

Shortly after returning from his USAF service to our country, where he served in far-away places like Tulle, Greenland, the dangerous border of North and South Korea, and even that mysterious northeastern region where few people ever visit, known as Massachusetts, he pursued and earned two things that changed his life forever:  a entrepreneurial career in trucking, where he eventually became owner/operator of his own rig, and a loving wife who provided the stable home environment Ken had desired so much, but had been denied during his own childhood.  Always with food on the table and a roof overhead, luxuries not available to Ken and many others during the Great Depression and his formative childhood years, he was determined to ensure his family was provided for, and he consistently did this for all of his immediate family, and many of his own siblings and their families. 

 

Through hard work, long hours and sustained periods of work-imposed family separation, Ken was able to survive treacherous work conditions for nearly 34 years and estimated over one million road miles, associated with trucking, and numerous journeys through the “shadow of the valley of death”, to ensure that his immediate family, as well as extended family and friends, had the essentials covered.  During Ken’s trucking days, he consistently earned the annual “safe driving awards,” ultimately completing over 34 years of safe driving without an accident attributed to him.  Always leading by example and sharing lessons learned from both good and bad experiences, Ken Hittle laid a foundation on which he believed his family could build a solid future.  

 

He emphasized that in America, and with God’s love and support, all things are possible, even though he struggled at times to believe, or comprehend how that applied to him, with his 8th grade education, or the “Hittle clan” at times.  Ken was an ardent defender of the prowess of the “good ole U.S. of A” and his support for the “buy American” slogan was drilled into his kids, which turns out is a pretty good thing to do.

 

Ken didn’t have many hobbies, as his work and time on the road precluded much spare time. However, he enjoyed hunting from an early age and always seemed to look forward to getting together with friends and family during the annual deer hunting season.  Late in life, Ken was introduced to the sport of golf by his children, and he hosted for many years the “Hittle Open” golf tournament…a nearly annual event that involved most of his immediate family and a number of his friends.  Since Ken had grown up playing baseball and had never swung a golf club until he was in his fifties, he developed a “unique” golf swing, that while untraditional, was able to earn him the hand-carved tournament trophy a few times during the latter years of his life.  In honor of his contributions to the game, Ken was buried with the trophy, and should the family tournament ever be resumed, it should be known as the “Ken Hittle Memorial Golf Tournament.”

 

Most everyone knows that Ken’s health had not been good for roughly the last 27 years of his life, and he has suffered with chronic pain throughout much of this period.  His passing, while painful for all of us, has most assuredly brought a final relief and rest for Ken Hittle.  So, as we part our ways, always remember Ken Hittle as that hard-working, simple, family-oriented person that he was, that liked to believe that “all things are possible”, and always appreciate how he strived to lay the foundation for each of us to become better people.  My God bless his soul.

Kenneth Wayne Hittle is preceded in death by all 13 of his siblings except for Oscar Hittle of Danville, PA, who was able to attend Ken’s funeral with his wife Dorris.  Ken is survived by his wife Josephine Ann (Snyder) Hittle, his eldest son and daughter-in-law Audie and Karina Hittle, daughter and son-in-law LouJean and Mark Beishline, son and daughter-in-law Monty and Cindy Hittle, son and daughter-in-law Darby and Dawn Hittle, and son and daughter-in-law Clinton and Liz Hittle, as well as eight grandchildren Kamah Hittle-Perkins, Levi and Justin Beishline, Nyssa and Lena Hittle, Cedar and Jessie Hittle, and Catherine Hittle.