Lenard Ben Locken Obituary (1944 - 2019)

Lenard Ben Locken, 75, peacefully passed away on October 20th, 2019. Born to John and Pauline Locken of Beldon, North Dakota on April 16, 1944, he was the 10th of 14 children. Growing up on a farm and working the oil fields at a young age, he learned early on the value of a hard days work and took those lessons with him through life. On January 2nd, 1965 he married his sweetheart Margaret Maureen Holst and shortly after the ceremony, with the gifts still wrapped, they hopped in their car and headed west to California to a job waiting for him in the oil fields. In 1966 Lenard and Maureen moved to Washington State where Lenard partnered with his brother Paul Locken and began a concrete construction company (later known as Locken Concrete Construction) which they successfully ran for over 30 years before Lenard retired in 2009. In 1972 with the help of his good friend Bob, Lenard began work on building a home in Covington where he and his wife Maureen would ultimately raise their 3 children. Lenard was a man of the land, hardworking and tough, a farmer and a true cowboy at heart. He loved horseback riding on the trails in Greenwater, hunting in the Norse Peak Wilderness and fishing high mountain lakes. He was an avid vegetable gardener, always with a good crop of tomatoes and corn. He enjoyed canning pickles and sauerkraut and in the recent years salsa with his sons. He loved westerns, Budweiser and shooting the breeze with friends. Western shirts and Levis 501's were his attire of choice. He was a man of few words, but those few words always made you smile with his quick wit and one-liners. He'd be able to read the sky in the distance and know when a storm was near and then make sure to let everyone know, " rain's a comin'." Lenard will be remembered for his strength, integrity, generosity and kindness, but most of all for his commitment and love for his family. For everything he did in his life, he did for them. Lenard is survived by his children Michael (Tonya), Mishelle (John), and Kodey(Jennifer), his lifelong love Maureen, 6 grandchildren, Chase and River, Andrew and Anthony, Bridget and Keagan, great-grandchild Sadie, his siblings, Johnny, June, Norman, Lyle, Paul, Sharon, Betty, Jimmy, Daryl and a heck of a lot of nieces and nephews. A celebration of his life will be held on November 2nd, 2019 at 3:00 pm., at Edline-Yahn & Covington Funeral Chapel, 27221 156th Avenue SE, Kent, WA 98042 In lieu of flowers the family asks that you take the time and schedule your cancer screening. "Its a long ways from your heart, you'll be ok." ~ Lenard