Carroll Eugene Koenke was born to Clarence and Evelyn Koenke in Peckham, Oklahoma on Oct. 8, 1930. He attended and graduated high school in Newkirk.

Shortly after he moved to the Forks area and started a lifelong career as a logger, interrupted with a two-year hitch, Feb. 1952-Feb. 1954, in the United States Army where he attended mechanics school where he graduated 3rd in a class of 17. Upon returning to Forks and his career as a logger he followed his life long passion of working cattle at Streeter Ranch just outside Forks.

While living on the ranch, logging and working the ranch, he was as happy as a young man can be. He remained on the ranch after it was sold by Streeters to Ted Spoelstra, working with, and for Ted, they quickly became life long friends and remained so until Ted’s death in 2017.

Kink was an avid outdoorsman fishing and hunting at every opportunity, with a passion for hunting elk over all other big game. He was able to harvest many bull elk including a record bull placing number four in the world in 1966.

Kink was an upstanding member of the community of Forks for all of his adult life and was honored as Hickory Shirt – Heritage Days Pioneer Logger of the Year in 2010. He was a member of The Loyal Order of The Elks for 39 years where he remained active until his death.

He was proceeded in death by his wife Marilea, both parents and his brother Kenneth, sisters Vitora Hodges, Colleen Goulden, and Kathleen Rozell. Kink is survived by his brother Claude Koenke, three stepchildren Debbie Carnes (Bruce), Lynda Rowland of Forks, and Dennis Coats (Lila) of Craig, Alaska, and many nieces and nephews. He had eight grandchildren,19 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. Kink died July 12, 2020, and his ashes were spread at one of his favorite fishing holes on the Sol Duc River bordering his beloved ranch.