Kate Gosselin’s heartbreak as father Kenton E. Kreider is dead at 71 after her custody battle & move to North Carolina
KATE Gosselin is grieving the death of her beloved father, Kenton E. Kreider, who has died aged 71, The Sun can exclusively reveal.
The 46-year-old, who disappeared from the public eye after her custody battle with ex Jon and relocated from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, lost her dad earlier this year.
Kate was reportedly estranged from Kenton, along with her mother, Charlene, for years, and it is not known whether they reconciled before her father’s death.
An online obituary reveals his background in the United States Navy and his career in teaching before becoming a pastor, and lists that he has 24 grandchildren.
It reads: “Reverend Kenton E. Kreider, 71, of Hershey, passed into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, surrounded by family.
“Born Sunday, May 1, 1949, in Hershey, he was the son of Clair E. Kreider and the late Edythe I. (Robinson) Kreider of Hershey.
“Ken was part of the Lower Dauphin High School Class of 1967 where he met his high school sweetheart and future wife, Charlene ‘Char’ R. (Kolak) Kreider.
“Upon graduation, Ken immediately began his four-year commitment to the United States Navy with his first assignment stationing him in Jacksonville, Florida. Ken and Char were married in Jacksonville on March 16, 1968. They recently celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary.”
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A viewing and memorial were held over two days at GracePoint Evangelical Free Church in Palmyra, PA with Pastor Bob Sproul.
The obituary reveals Ken earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biblical Studies from Lancaster Bible College and his Master of Education Degree from Millersville University.
He was a sixth grade teacher at Mt. Calvary Christian School, Elizabethtown and later went on to teach science and bible studies at the middle school for many years.
Later in his career, he was a short-term teacher of history and social studies at Lititz Christian School.
“Following his retirement from teaching, the Lord called Ken to be Visitation Pastor for Elizabethtown Christian & Missionary Alliance Church (now The Alliance Church of Elizabethtown) and more recently he became the pastor of Cassels Alliance Church, Manchester,” it explains.
FAMILY LIFE
In addition to his wife, Ken is survived by five children: Kendra, Christen, Katie, Kevin, and Clairissa, along with their partners.
Also surviving Ken is his father, Clair, of Middletown, his grandchildren, one great-grandchild, sister Karol Saner, as well as his extended family and caring friends.
In lieu of flowers at his service, donations were also made to Align Life Ministries and Water Street Mission.
Kate is believed to be estranged from her three sisters and brother, Kevin, who testified against her and ex Jon regarding a child labor dispute in 2010 regarding their reality show.
NO CONTACT
In 2014, Kate’s sister Kendra was also interviewed by the Daily Mail and explained she isn’t part of her life.
She said: “Kate does not speak to her family at all. It is very painful… I guess we weren’t totally on board with what was going on with the kids, I guess we weren’t excited enough for her and were concerned about her family.
“Years later, the divorce came about and we had every right to be [concerned]. But there was no conversation and no argument.
“I guess we have our own life and she wants a big life and we don’t fit in.
“We are just normal, everyday people and she doesn’t want us to be part of her life.”
Kate moved home with four children in her care – Leah, Alexis, Joel and Aaden, all 17.
BITTER CUSTODY BATTLE
Twins Mady and Cara, 21, live at their respective colleges, but reside with their mother when home.
Kate’s other two children, Hannah and Collin, live with their dad Jon, 44, after an 11-year custody battle finally came to an end.
The Sun revealed last month that Kate has gone back into nursing after their family reality show was canceled.
She obtained her registered nurse license on June 30, 2021, according to the North Carolina Board of Nursing.
The expiration date is March 31, 2023 and she has a “multi-state license.”
The mom of eight’s registered nurse license is also active in Pennsylvania and expires on October 31, 2021.
MOVING AWAY
Kate officially sold her Pennsylvania home for $1,085,000 on January 26 after putting it on the market for $1,299,900 in October last year.
A source told HollywoodLife: “Kate picked up and moved the kids down to North Carolina to spend their junior and senior years there with a totally new life.”
As The Sun previously reported, Kate Plus 8 was canceled after Jon filed a petition for contempt against Kate on October 18, 2019, claiming she filmed the four minor children in her custody without his consent.
A standalone episode of Kate Plus 8 aired on October 1, 2019 titled College Bound, featuring their twin daughters’s college tours and a family vacation.
Jon claimed he did not receive information from Kate or TLC that “filming of the minor children was to occur” for the episode.
In Kate’s response to his petition on October 30, 2019, she claimed she “was under the mistaken impression” that the network was “handling all notifications to the Father and that she was not personally responsible for these notifications” regarding filming for the episode.
She then filed a counterclaim against Jon, accusing him of continuing to “publicly embarrass” her and “tarnish” her reputation so that her ability to continue the show is “completely thwarted.”
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