Kenneth Lyle Gundlach, a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Sheboygan, has
gone to meet his Maker on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, following several years of battling cancer. He was born to Ted and Emily Gundlach (nee Rosenberg) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 23, 1940, and became a child of God through baptism on October 27, 1940. He was the second of three children: his older brother Ted, a Lutheran pastor, and his younger sister, Judy, a secretary for the South Wisconsin District of the LCMS.
Ken attended Mt. Calvary Lutheran School in Milwaukee, and was confirmed and
graduated in 1954. Ken then attended Concordia College, Milwaukee, for his high school
years, where he became interested in archaeology, especially as it could be used to show where the Wise Men of Biblical fame came from – Ken was convinced they’d come from Parthia. Following high school, he then attended and graduated from Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois, where he also later earned his Master’s in school administration and supervision in 1981.
While in college, Ken worked in the dining hall, where a cute coed noticed him. At the
end of his senior year, he needed someone to type out his late homework, and called on that
coed, Jerilynn Templin, to help. That led to their being married on December 29, 1962.
Ken started teaching at Trinity Lutheran School, Indianapolis in 1963 (where he gave a
presentation to a women’s group while a tornado was forming in the clouds overhead).
He then accepted a position at Immanuel Lutheran School, Kingston, NY, where he
served until 1968. In addition to teaching, Ken developed the school library together with his wife Jeri, served as the Youth Director and the congregation’s PR person, and taught in an old bowling alley that was used as a temporary classroom due to a fire in the church (which Ken discovered). In Kingston, Ken also enjoyed exploring the nearby Catskill mountains with his family, or driving back to Wisconsin (often through Ontario) in his beloved, too briefly owned, Jaguar sedan.
Ken accepted a Call to St. John’s Lutheran School, West Bend, WI in 1968. He was
called to serve as the school’s principal there in 1977. Besides teaching, Ken served in
West Bend as VBS superintendent, athletic director (he coached football, basketball, and softball) and as assistant principal, before becoming principal. He also served on West Bend’s Bicentennial committee for two years. He officiated jr. high basketball; freshman, JV, and community rec dept. football (for which he was even asked to rewrite the rules); and city recreation department league volleyball for many years. He also managed to attend many of his own children’s extracurricular activities when he was able and also enjoyed taking the family for drives, exploring the area, or visiting relatives.
Ken accepted a Call to Holy Cross Lutheran Church and School in Wichita, KS as
Minister of Education (including adult education) and principal in 1988. While in Wichita
he liked driving through the vast treeless plains and the prairies of the Flint Hills; and he
became accustomed to driving 2 hours one way to attend a 2 or 3 hour meeting.
In 1994 he accepted the Call to serve as principal at Bethlehem Lutheran School in
Sheboygan, WI. While there, he helped with a major building addition. At Bethlehem, he
treasured the times and experiences he had working with the faculty and staff. He also
enjoyed living close to both Lake Michigan and the Kettle Moraine. He retired in 2007
after 44 years of serving in Lutheran schools, leading children towards their Savior.
Over the years, he taught all regular middle and upper grade elementary school subjects, including grade two (science), music appreciation, and art, but his favorite subjects were math, Algebra, and science. In West Bend and Wichita, Ken initiated and developed various programs, including their schools’ preschools.
Ken regarded teaching as a profession, and almost always came to class wearing a dress
shirt and one of his many different neckties, most of them colorful, with various designs
many themed with children in mind.
In his professional career, Ken was a Lutheran Education Association member for many
years, and served as president of LEA’s national department of Lutheran Elementary
Teachers (1976-1980), as well as LEA treasurer from 1990-1994. He enjoyed a different
side of ministry at LEA’s quarterly Board of Directors meetings held at various synodical
campus locations around the country. Ken also served on the South Wisconsin District
Superintendent’s cabinet several times and on SWD conference planning committees and other district committees in Wisconsin and Kansas. In addition, he led sectionals at
several district teachers’ conferences and was a consultant to a number of schools in
Kansas. He also served for many years as treasurer of the Sheboygan Area Lutheran
School Association (SALSA).
Ken liked to explore nature, and always kept an eye open for wild animals and interesting birds. He enjoyed traveling and tent camping with his family, visiting many of
Wisconsin’s state parks, and 44 of the 50 states. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed his
trips around the country and beyond, especially their two trips to Colombia (he loved
Bogota and Cartagena), their three-week self-driving tour of England and Scotland, and
their extended stay in Mexico City visiting their son and daughter-in-law. He also
enjoyed their trips to Arizona and the Grand Canyon, seeing the wildlife in Yellowstone,
and visiting The Big Apple, San Francisco, and Portland, OR. Once back home, Ken
liked to show off his 1,000 plus cataloged beer bottle collection. Or maybe you’d find
him with Jeri, showing everyone how to polka, before going home to enjoy his favorite
dessert, blueberry bread pudding, while listening to some of the varied eclectic CD’s of
music he and Jeri had accumulated and enjoyed.
Ken is survived by his wife Jeri and their seven children: three sons and four daughters:
Michael Gundlach, Lisa Gundlach, Kevin Gundlach, Melissa Gundlach (Laura Lee),
Jeremy Gundlach, and Jessica Gundlach. He is also survived by his grandchildren
Zachary Frank (Camille Kass), Courtney Seitz (Zack), Alanah Frank, and Kendall Frank; by one greatgranddaughter, Hazel Seitz and by one great-grandson, Rowen Seitz; by one brother-inlaw, Vernon Stern; one sister-in-law, Lily Bormet, and by numerous other family
members, relatives, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, and by his
older brother Ted and his younger sister Judy, as well as his sister-in-law Jane Gundlach,
his brother-in-law Lee Bormet, and his granddaughter Anya Gundlach.
Ken devoted his life to Lutheran education and to bringing children to know their Savior.
He looked forward to meeting them all in heaven, and knew that Lutheran schools were
one effective way to help meet that goal.
A funeral service for Ken will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1121 Georgia Ave., Sheboygan with Rev. Patrick Niles officiating. Family and friends may gather at the church on Saturday afternoon from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the service at 2:00 p.m.
The Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home and Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.reinboldfh.com
Comments