Dr. Kenneth C. Wiebe

Father and grandfather, surgeon, farmer, teacher, servant of God. Born December 3, 1931, in Newton, Kansas. Died peacefully at Villa Manor Care Center, Lakewood, Colorado, June 1, 2026.

Ken was born to Willie and Esther (Claassen) Wiebe. He grew up on the family farm raising cattle and growing crops. He loved farming with his dad. After his father died when he was 9, he farmed with his brother, mother and uncles. After graduating from Berean Academy, he attended Grace Bible Institute for three years before transferring to Wheaton College to study pre-med. He graduated from Wheaton in 1954, and entered Kansas University medical school. He met Marie Crapuchettes at Wheaton and they married during his second year of medical school. Ken graduated from medical school in 1959, and completed his internship a year later.

In 1960, Ken moved the family to Chicago to practice general medicine. In 1962 the family returned to Kansas City where Ken started a surgical residency. They had four children during this time - Matt, Heidi, Margo, and Bekkey. Upon completion of his surgical residency, he joined a private surgical practice in Kansas City. He loved teaching and stayed on as a clinical professor at Kansas University from 1966 to 1973.

Church was an integral part of life for Ken and Marie. They were active members of Hillcrest Covenant Church in Kansas City, where he taught Sunday school and where his family attended for eleven years. After teaching "Abraham's Migration from Babylon to Palestine" at the church for years, Ken migrated his own family to Camarillo, California in 1973. There they attended Simi Valley Covenant Church until Marie became a pastor and started Camarillo Covenant Church, where Ken again taught Sunday School and helped out any way he could as a pastor’s spouse. Later, after retirement, Ken also taught Sunday School at Grace Hill Church in Whitewater, Kansas.

Ken had a successful and rewarding surgical practice for 27 years in Oxnard California at St. John’s Hospital, where he also served as Chair of the Board of the hospital. When Marie had a stroke in 1989, Ken became her caregiver for the next 19 years. They loved their time in California.

A graveside service for Ken will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 10:00 AM at Grace Hill Mennonite Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Grace Hill Mennonite Church, and may be left in the care of Petersen Funeral Home, Newton, Kansas.