Kenneth Clark Davis Sr., 82, of White Deer, Texas, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 18, 2026, surrounded by family at his home in White Deer.
Services took place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at First Baptist Church in Wellington, Texas, with Rev. Gary Hillyard, retired Baptist minister of Lake Livingston, Texas, officiating. Burial followed in Wellington’s Memorial Gardens Cemetery with Masonic Rites. Arrangements were by Adams Funeral Home of Wellington. Visitation was held from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2026, at the funeral home in Wellington.
Born on Oct. 4, 1943, in Boswell, Okla. to Homer and Fay Davis, Ken was the 10th of 11 children. The family moved to Texas when he was 6 weeks old. He always joked that they had to move to Texas because he figured out where they were.
Ken graduated from Matador High School in 1962. He married Donell McKinney on June 11, 1966, in Wellington. In 1980, he graduated with an associate degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The Masonic Lodge became an important part of Ken’s life. He joined the Freemasons in Wellington in the early 1970s. He progressed through the degrees and became a Master Mason. As a Master Mason, he continued to expand his Masonic education as a Scottish Rite and York Rite Mason. He served as a Past Master Mason in the Wellington Lodge and Matador Lodge. Ken received the highest individual honor a local Masonic Lodge can bestow upon a member, the Golden Trowel, in 2018. He treasured his time with his fellow Masons and believed in what they stand for.
A traveler, Ken had a nomadic spirit and never seemed to live anywhere too long, so he and Donell got to call many places home. They met wonderful people all over the country who they still count as friends. They lived as far west as Glendale, Calif., and as far east as Youngstown, Ohio. The furthest north they lived was Minot, N.D., and Freeport, Texas, was the farthest south.
The place they lived that he liked best had to be Pottsboro, Texas. He loved to fish and spend time out on the lake with his family and friends. Ken visited 49 of the 50 states — Hawaii being the only one he missed.
Ken worked in construction most of his life in some form or another. One of his longest tenures was with JR Abbott Construction as a Project Superintendent. This led him to job sites all over the country, where he impacted the lives of all he crossed paths with. He was always ready with a witty remark that would leave you thinking about it the rest of the day. His remarks could leave you chuckling or fuming, because he was ornery and good at agitating. Even so, he was easy to like, so he had friends everywhere he went. He retired in May 2011.
Kenneth loved his family dearly. Having so many older siblings, he got really good at being a pesky little brother but also a fun uncle. The Davis family had reunions twice a year, and this time was always special to Ken. You could find him playing dominoes or hand and foot with anyone who would sit down and play. He always seemed to have a new silly song to teach the kids. He could be counted on for a smile and a prayer.
He and Donell had three children, Kacy, Nancy and Jayme. They have nine grandchildren who they hauled all over the country on trips to instill in them his love of seeing this great land. He couldn’t quite understand how they would sometimes rather color in their coloring books than look at the Painted Hills of Oregon, but he kept taking them places anyway.
As great as he thought his grandchildren were, his great-grandchildren were the apple of his eye. He supported them by attending sporting events, stock shows, pageants, dance recitals — anything that was important to them was important to him. He loved them and showed them in the many smiles, silly songs, funny noises and endearing nicknames. Kenneth may have been known by many names – Ken, Uncle Kenneth, Dad — but Grandad was his favorite.
Kenneth is preceded in death by his parents; all 10 of his siblings; and his great-grandson, Liam Clark Bass, his namesake.
Kenneth is survived by his wife, Donell, of 60 years; children Kacy Davis and wife Stephanie, of White Deer; Nancy Davis, of Wellington, and Jayme Bass, of Denison, Texas; and grandchildren Ashley and Travis Quirk, of Gruver, Texas, Brittany and Matt Henderson, of White Deer, Cheyenne Davis, of White Deer, Kelsey Davis, of Iowa Park, Texas, Zachary and Katie Whitehead, of Wichita Falls, Texas, Taylor Whitehead, of Abilene, Texas, Jordain Bass, of Atoka, Okla., ShayLynn Bass, of Stillwater, Okla., and Brycen and Lucchese Bass, of Atoka, Okla. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, Paisley, Brody and Ben Quirk, Madisyn and Brantley Henderson, Jayce Davis, Kassidy Whitehead and Ollie, Luca and Emma Bass, along with many nieces, nephews and other extended family.
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