Ken Stoey
Ken had known a little about the Knights of Columbus for a long time, but for many years he assumed that it was some sort of secret society and for that reason wanted no part of it, despite several people urging him to join over the years.  Finally, he decided to join the Council in Crivitz (#4671) with a friend, and found out a lot more about the organization.  That was just a couple of years ago, and in the relatively short time he has been with the Knights he has become a Field Agent.   He now spends a great deal of his time looking for new recruits to the organization that he had treated with some suspicion for so long.  The man he joined with also got quite involved in the Council but, unfortunately, died just a few months later.  After joining the Council Ken missed the first meeting and ended up being elected Treasurer. 

In his work as a Field Agent he spends a lot of time settling claims and working with widows.  He's also gotten involved in some charitable work, and handles a program that tries to get computers into the hands of needy people.  It's a full day, even for a Field Agent, and he finds himself on the go from about eight in the morning until ten at night, six days a week.  In addition to the Green Bay area, his territory ranges from Escanaba through Marinette and fairly far west.  He's responsible for sixteen or seventeen Councils and estimates that he's dealing with about 1700 Knights.  Adding their families, that comes out to around 5000 people.  There are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish all he'd like to do. 

Ken spent many years as a schoolteacher and has taught just about every level--from kindergarten to college.  His wife Mary is still teaching and plans to retire in a couple of years.  The family is tied closely to education and in his time Ken has taught at Notre Dame, East & Preble.  He has gotten to know a lot of people in the Green Bay area as well as in the Wausaukee area where they also have a home.  Ken also worked most recently as an insurance adjuster for American Family Insurance, so the transition to Field Agent was not a career shift.  He appreciates the product that the Knights of Columbus offer to their customers, pointing out that only about six companies in the United States have the kind of ratings that the Knights' Insurance program has attained.  He has also come to know well the benefits of being a member of an organization such as the Knights and would like to see every man in every parish become a member.  He feels the Knights help keep families together and stands up for important values such as respect for life.  Ken gets involved in the pro-life aspect of membership in the Knights and is interested in the Susan B. Anthony List, which helps to elect pro-life women to Congress (See Columbia, September 2002.)  

Ken and Mary have been married about thirty-four years now and they halve two children, both of whom are in the Air Force and both stationed at Minot, North Dakota.  One is a pediatrician and the other an aeronautical engineer.  They also have one grandchild.  Mary has been working her way through the Commissioned Ministry Program offered by the Diocese of Green Bay and is head of the homebound communicators up north where she is also doing some behind the scenes work in the religious education program.  They are members of a parish in Amberg as well as St. Bernard and are thinking of joining Ss. Peter & Paul as well since they attend morning mass there frequently and take part in the Holy Hours. 

In the little free time he has, he enjoys woodworking, hunting and fishing.  We are very happy to have Ken and Mary as a part of our Council family and look forward to getting to know Ken through his work as our Council's Field Agent. 

October 2002