Kenneth Aitken

Kenneth Aitken was born in Sisters, Oregon on December 19, 1917. He passed away on January 14.

After attending schools in Sisters, he attended Benson Polytechnic School in Portland studying electricity and radio. A number of radio broadcasting jobs followed, including announcing on the Mutual Network. A move to Visalia as the program director served as a stepping stone to a five-year stint at KFRE in Fresno.

While at KFRE he joined the Navy in their Radio Technician program. About two years after returning, he became aware of Taft and the possibility that a station could be established here. On April 16, 1948, the station KTKR began broadcasting. The station enjoyed local and county listener acceptance.

That same year he joined the Rotary Club and served as President from 1968-1969. He had a perfect attendance record of 58 years. He wrote hundreds of Rotary Club news stories for the Daily Midway Driller.

The station was sold in 1959. Shaler Aitken Communications was established and later became Aitken Communications. This company handled two-way radio sales, construction of automation systems for the broadcast industry and oil field control systems.

Ken served on the board of the Red Cross, President of the Chamber of Commerce and the Kern County Planning Commission for 13 years, two as Chairman. He also served on the Board of Zoning Adjustment and later as an alternate until 1998.

In 1950 he married Mildred Bogle, a public health nurse in Bakersfield, who preceded him in death on March 20, 2005. Together they raised two girls who survive him. The oldest, Darlene Raine, lives in Lake Almanor and Karen McGee lives in Modesto. Also surviving him are four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

The Aitkens enjoyed traveling in foreign countries. Over the years they visited 40 different ones from Bali to Egypt.