Kenneth Earl Shewmaker82, of Hanover, New Hampshire, died Wednesday, October 31, 2018, at home surrounded by his loving family.

Born June 26, 1936, in Los Angeles, California, to James Virgil and Jeanette Shewmaker, he was predeceased by brothers James and Richard. His grandfather, Frederick Wilhelm Mueller, was one of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders in Cuba.

After completing high school and a year of junior college in Oakland, CA at California Concordia College, he attended Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois, where he met Elisabeth L. Spalteholz of Newark, New York. He graduated from Concordia Teachers College in 1960 and married the love of his life, Elisabeth "Liese" Shewmaker. He earned a Master's Degree in History from the University of California, Berkeley in 1961 and celebrated the birth of his son Richard. Ken received his Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University in 1966; in the same year his daughter Nancy, his "sunshine," was born. Prior to joining the Dartmouth faculty in 1967, he taught at Northwestern University from 1965 to 1966 and at the College of William and Mary from 1966-1967.

Professor of History Emeritus, Kenneth Shewmaker was an authority on Daniel Webster and American Foreign Relations. He taught at Dartmouth for 38 years and served as the History Department chairman from 1985 to 1989. His love of history and passion to teach was clear both in and outside the classroom. When discussing history, Ken would light up in the classroom and in conversations. A committed educator, he was a tough professor who inspired his students, many of whom kept in contact with him. Ken spent endless hours incorporating students' input into his course curriculum. He was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award, an award voted by the graduating class of Dartmouth seniors, in 1986, 1996 and 2004. He made Dartmouth history as the first professor to receive the award both a second and a third time. An endowment for the History Department was established in his honor by a former student, Douglas Urban, in 1996.

Professor Shewmaker wrote or edited four books. His first book, Americans and Chinese Communists, 1927-1945: A Persuading Encounter, was awarded the Stuart L. Bernath Prize by the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations as the best first or second monograph on the history of American foreign policy published in 1971. He went on to edit two volumes of The Diplomatic Papers of Daniel Webster and another work titled Daniel Webster: "The Completest Man." He authored numerous scholarly articles in the leading journals of his field. Under the auspices of the New Hampshire Humanities Council, he delivered many public lectures throughout the Granite State on the life and times of Daniel Webster.

A lifelong Lutheran, he was an active member and served in many capacities at Our Savior Luthern Church. His faith in God was a source of strength, purpose and joy. An expert fisherman, he loved to fly-fish and tie flies. Teaching students, friends and family to fly-fish, he was thrilled when they caught their first fish on a fly. A longtime member of the Norford Lake Club in Vermont, he appreciated the beauty of nature even when the fish weren't biting. While his practice was "catch and release," an occasional fish was gifted to others. He combined his fishing hobby with scholarship by publishing several articles about the history of American fly-fishing in the journal The American Angler. He also published articles about fly-tying in magazines such as Rod and Reel and Eastern Fly Fishing. He was delighted that his beloved cat, Sam, faithfully followed him when he fished Mink Brook in his backyard. During his retirement years, Professor Shewmaker taught fly-casting and fly-tying courses for L.L. Bean.

A basketball and baseball enthusiast, he played basketball in high school and college. His team won the Bay Counties Athlete League Basketball Championship in 1955. He and his wife were faithful Dartmouth basketball and Red Sox fans.

Above all, he deeply loved his wonderful wife Liese, his children and grandchildren. He credited his wife, also a teacher whose beautiful gardens he enjoyed, for keeping him alive through his many years' struggle with diabetes. Son Richard graduated from his Alma Mater, Northwestern University, and spent countless hours discussing society and politics. He fished many rivers with his daughter Nancy, also a member of the Norford Club, and they played friendly yet competitive ping-pong. He fished with grandsons Alex and Nick, played badminton and cards. He loved his time with his family, including many vacations in Maine.

Survivors include his wife Liese; two children, Richard G. Shewmaker of San Francisco, CA, and Nancy J. Marinelli of Georgia, VT; two grandsons, Alex and Nick Marinelli; a sister, Georgia Eschrich of Los Angeles, CA; and brother, Ronald W. Shewmaker of Oakdale, CA.

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, November 10, at 2:00 p.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Hanover, followed by a reception at the church.

Those wishing to honor his memory may make a donation to Our Savior Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, or The Nature Conservancy.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, NH.