Kenneth H. Stroh

Kenneth H. Stroh passed away peacefully on March 22, 2025, in Ukiah at the age of 87. He was born in San Francisco to Gerry and Adelaide Stroh, and later the family of six moved to Hillsborough. Ken’s love for the outdoors started at a very young age and was inspired by his father who was an avid pilot and outdoorsman and worked in the sporting goods business. The family spent a lot of time on Bodega Head that was owned by his mother’s family. Many of Ken’s Boy Scout days were happily spent there. He learned how to play the piano and accordion and loved to listen and whistle to music. 

Ken attended Burlingame High School from 1952 to 1956, played football and participated in track. His high school days were spent bird and deer hunting with friends and family, driving around in his 1955 Willy’s red Jeep, going to the Rec Center with friends, and spending time with his family at Blue Lakes. Ken knew at the age of 18 that he was going to be a farmer when he filled out a Report on Vocational Interest Test for Men. He ranked farming, engineering, aviation, and carpentry top on his interest list. It didn’t take long for him to accomplish all of them! One day at high school he was seen grinning with his huge Stroh grin at a beautiful freshman named Jeanette. She instantly fell in love and told her close friends that he was the man she was going to marry. Ken remembered their first date when he broke the front door handle on his way into the house and had to hand it over to Jeanette’s questioning father. Their marriage had to wait a bit while she went off to college and he worked for Darcy’s Sporting Goods and Harris & Stroh Sporting Goods. Ken was called into active duty in the Navy in 1958 as an airplane mechanic and worked mostly on F-8 Crusaders. He was stationed at Moffett Field for two years, and then it was finally time for Ken and Jeanette to marry. They were married in May 1960 at the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel, CA. Ken remained in the Navy in the U.S. Naval Reserve until 1962. In the interim they lived in San Mateo and welcomed their daughter Kathy into their family in 1961. The family later moved to Eureka while Ken sold sporting goods up and down the state, and then the family moved to Vacaville, and San Jose. They welcomed their daughter Debbie into the family in 1966. 

Ken’s parents began looking for property in Lake and Mendocino Counties and found their dream ranch in Potter Valley. They purchased the old Burns ranch in March 1967 that included 3200 acres on both sides of Eel River Road. Ken’s dream of farming came true. This was when Ken instantly became the general manager of a cattle feeder operation on the ranch and moved his family there in 1967. They moved into an old cabin, but on the first day had to scare away the skunks and rodents living there. By 1978 the ranch had 300 head of cattle, horses, 7 dogs, and sheep. The family grew sweet corn, melons, and vegetables to sell in their roadside stand and silage and hay for the cattle. Ken was known as a prankster on the ranch. One of his favorite pranks was driving the dune buggy through water and cow patties as it flew up off the tires all over his unsuspecting passengers. Over the years Ken and Jeanette happily spent a lot of time on tractors and in the car driving to all of the girls’ basketball and volleyball games. In addition to his daughters, Ken mentored many young men on farming, equipment repair, and ranch maintenance. He enjoyed sharing the ranch equipment and helping other Potter Valley farmers. He was great at making jigs to help make fixing equipment easier. If he wasn’t farming, he was flying, waterskiing, and sailing. One of his nicknames was “Sparkey” from all of the “control” burns he did that became uncontrolled and the fire department had to come save the ranch. In 1980 Jeanette opened a catering business that changed the ranch’s focus from cattle to growing hay for customers. Ken became the BBQ Tri-Tip King through Jeanette’s Country Cooking. The time after Jeanette’s death in 2005 was difficult, but his family, friends, and new friends helped him through it. He didn’t let his age slow him down . . . he was still growing and bucking hay until he was 80.

Five years ago, he met Verna Schaffer who brought so much joy to Ken’s life. They often talked about how lucky they were to have found each other at their age. Her vision of them continuing to enjoy life together gave him strength to fight cancer. She was the driving force to help him feel and get better, and the family will always be grateful to her for loving Ken and advocating for his healthcare. Ken’s huge grin and his compassion will be missed by all.

Ken loved Potter Valley, and giving back to the community was important to him. In 1975 he became a Director on the Potter Valley Community Services District followed by serving as a board member with the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, Mendocino County Farm Supply, and the Potter Valley Store. He was a volunteer with the Potter Valley Fire Department, and he was a Potter Valley Irrigation board member for 39 years of which he served 36 as President until March 2025.

Ken is survived by his daughter Kathy Williams and her husband Dick; daughter Debbie Reardan and her husband John; granddaughter Shara Sheldon and her husband Chase; grandson Kenny Madigan; granddaughter Amanda Reardan; great-grandson Connor Sheldon; brother Doug Stroh, and several nieces and nephews and great-grand nieces and nephews.

Ken was preceded in death by his wife Jeanette Stroh, brother Marvin Stroh, sister Jean Ingels, and parents Gerry and Adelaide Stroh.

The family is grateful for the end-of-life care given to Ken by Raul Gonzalez, Kim Cavender, and the staff at both Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Hospital and Redwood Cove Healthcare Center.

A Celebration of Life barbecue is scheduled for 2-5 p.m. on May 4, 2025 at the Blue Oaks Barn on the Pauli Ranch in Potter Valley at 12550 Hawn Creek Road. Attendees are asked to bring their favorite dessert to share. Gifts in Ken’s memory are kindly requested to be directed to the Potter Valley Fire Department.