Richard "Rick" Kohnke

Richard Henry Kohnke, better known as Rick, was born on December 26, 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio. He died peacefully, and surrounded by family at his residence in Lumberton, Mississippi, on December 1, 2022. He was 79 years old.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ruth Ann Faggard Kohnke, four children: Ricky Kohnke, Kelly Kohnke Hemba (Jimmy), Michelle Kohnke Entrekin (Corbett), and JD Kohnke (Amanda), all of Lumberton, MS. He was Papaw to 14 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and a host of grand in-laws, and Uncle Rick to several generations of nieces and nephews from the Ohio River Valley to the Mighty Mississippi.

He was preceded in death by his father, Hans Kohnke, his mother, Ethel Kohnke, his sister, Delores Kohnke Kilpatrick, and her husband, Howard Kilpatrick, all of Cleveland, Ohio.

Rick grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from West Tech High School. After high school, he joined the United States Navy, where he served for 4 years of active duty and 6 years in the Navy Reserves. It was during his time in the Navy that Rick met Ruth Ann Faggard. He traded the summer shores of Lake Eerie for the MS Gulf Coast as they married and settled down in the Byrd Line community of Lumberton. Rick worked for Southland/Hunt Oil Company to provide for his family and eventually retired from there after years of loyal and faithful service. In his spare time, he enjoyed dog hunting, deep-sea fishing, and working the land. As he retired, he would spend many days still hunting, fishing local lakes and ponds, and always planting a garden that he proudly shared with those in his community and beyond.

As much as Rick loved and valued family, he love his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ first and foremost. He attended local churches with Ruth Ann all of their married life, where he served as a deacon for over 50 years. He was a member and inactive deacon of First Baptist Church of Lumberton when he passed, where he served as an active deacon until his health prevented it. He went on multiple mission trips from remote villages in Mexico to the Native American reservations of Oklahoma, but his true calling was with the Pathfinders Ministries working in South Dakota at Windswept Academy and with the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Organization responding to those in need due to natural disasters. Inspired by one of his favorite scriptures of Colossians 3:23, He did everything from construction to cooking, but in everything he would work heartily for the Lord, not for men, knowing that he would receive his inheritance from the Lord.

Services for Rick will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, December 4, 2022 at First Baptist Church in Lumberton where family will receive friends from 1:00 pm until service time. Burial will follow at Byrd Line Cemetery assisted by Melvin Shaw, Hubert Ladner, Larry Haik, Stephen High, Matthew Speed, and Josh Speed as pallbearers, and Al Harrington, Jr. as honorary.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a financial donation to the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Fund or First Baptist Church Lumberton Missions Fund.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Donation Form

First Baptist Church

103 E Hinton Ave, Lumberton, MS 39455

601-796-8188