There's the road, and on the road are the greenhouses and the insurance agency, and once upon a time there were celery fields.

Kenneth Schuring grew up in the family business, taking part in all aspects, from driving the trucks and tractors essential to growing and distributing celery to selling insurance for the John Schuring Jr. Insurance Agency, the company named for his grandfather.

``He was the principal here in the (insurance) office, but he was very involved with the greenhouse operation as well,'' Chad Schuring said of his father, who died Dec. 16 at the University of Michigan Medical Center after a brief battle with esophageal cancer.

Ken Schuring, who remained active in the family business until his death, was 66.

``This business was a big part of his life,'' said Chad Schuring, who also works there. ``I think it was the second love of his life; the first love was his family and the grandkids.''

In addition to working with his son, Ken worked side-by-side with his cousins Jack and Ron.

Jack Schuring said Ken always tried to provide the best service possible to his customers. ``If they had needs, he took care of them,'' he said.

``He ... did his share and more,'' Ron Schuring said. ``He wanted to make sure everything was done and everything was done right.''

When Paul Wartner came to Portage in 1969 as business manager for the Portage Public Schools, he moved into an apartment on Schuring Road and immediately walked across the street to the insurance agency where he met Ken.

That started a nearly 40-year friendship. ``I knew him for 38 years and I practically saw him every day ... and never once did I ever hear anyone say anything bad about Ken Schuring,'' Wartner said.

``In Rotary, he volunteered for everything,'' he added.

Schuring was particularly interested in scholarship opportunities available through Rotary, and because of that his family has begun a Portage Rotary scholarship in his name, Chad said.

Ken was a lifelong resident of the Portage area, graduating from Portage High School, where he was a star basketball player. He earned a bachelor's degree from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo. He also served in the U.S. Army National Guard.

He is survived by three sons and two daughters-in-law, Chad and Patricia Schuring, of Portage; K.C. Schuring, a Marine wounded in Iraq last year, but now largely recovered, and his wife, Lynn, of Farmington Hills; and Ben Schuring, of Kalamazoo. He is also survived by five grandchildren and two brothers and sisters-in-law, Norman and Vicky Schuring, of Kentwood, and Roger and Vicki Schuring, of Grand Haven.

A visitation was held Thursday at the Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Portage Chapel.