Kenneth "Ken" Holliday

Kenneth "Ken" Holliday, 64, of Tallapoosa, GA, formerly of Robinson, IL, passed away unexpectedly and was found on January 4, 2026, at his home. He was born on May 29, 1961, in Alma, MI, and he grew up in Shepherd, MI. He came up in the tree and stump removal business, following in his stepdad's footsteps, and he stayed with it his whole life. He did tree work because he loved it. He was good at it, too. If you were around here, you probably heard it at some point: Ken Holliday Stump Removal.

Ken was a nice person, but he was also the kind of nice that comes with a little bit of trouble. He liked to talk. He liked to tease. He liked to give people guff. If you were doing something wrong, Ken was going to tell you. And if you were doing it right, he might still tell you how he would do it differently. That was just Ken. Sometimes it was frustrating. A lot of times, it was funny. But it was always him. He was a storyteller, too. He had a story for everything. He didn't just tell you what happened, he gave you the whole thing. And yes, Ken could embellish a little...well...a lot. And if you were listening close, you could usually tell he was enjoying himself as much as you were.

And Ken didn't just tell stories in person. He told them on the phone, too. He spent a lot of time on the phone, calling brothers, sisters, friends, anybody he had not talked to in a while. If your phone rang and it was Ken, you knew you should probably answer. Because if you did not, he would call again. And again. And again. He was not doing it to be a pest. That was just how he stayed close. In Ken's mind, a missed call did not mean "try later." It meant "try again." And when the calls were not enough, Ken liked to catch up the old-fashioned way, face to face, with food on the grill and people close by. He loved a good cookout, whether he was hosting or showing up hungry and ready to visit. Those were his kind of hours, the kind where stories stretch out, laughter comes easy, and nobody is in a hurry to leave.

Ken lived in a lot of places and moved around more than most people do. But it was rarely random. Most of the time, it was because he wanted to be closer to somebody he loved. If family was there, Ken wanted to be there, too. Work took him plenty of miles, and life took him across a few maps, but Illinois was still home. It was where he was rooted. And if you knew Ken, you know that is not just a figure of speech. He spent his life cutting, hauling, grinding stumps, working with what is above the ground, but he understood what really holds things steady. Roots do. And his were always here.

He is survived by his children & their spouses Rebekah & Jesse Davis, Tina & Tony Doucet, and Kenny Holliday; by nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; by his siblings, Ruth Priebe, Joann McIntyre, Sandy Williams, Raymond Holliday, Anita Dawson, Vera Payne, and Louis Holliday; by his step-mother, Rosetta Newton; by two step-siblings; as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Eugene Holliday and Dorene (Draper) Walton; by his stepfather, Frank Walton; and by five step-siblings.

A graveside service will be held at the Grand Prairie Cemetery, and service details will be posted soon. Memorials may be made to his memorial fund, with checks made payable to Goodwine Funeral Homes. Donations may also be made online at www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/payments.