Sunday, December 1, 2024

Ken Carpenter


(From Johnson-Schuller Chapel)

A gathering of family and friends celebrating the life of Ken Carpenter of Wadena, Minnesota, will be held on Saturday, December 14, starting at 4:40p.m. at the Elmer Goche Post 3922, VFW in Wadena.

Kenneth Ray Carpenter, 80, passed away peacefully on November 25, 2024, at Astera Hospital in Wadena, MN, with his loving wife by his side.







Ken was born on June 22, 1944, in the upstairs of a railroad depot in Carl Junction, Missouri, to William and Ethel (Smith) Carpenter. He was one of nine children, all of whom preceded him in death.

At the age of 17, Ken joined the United States Army and served as a medic in Germany for three years, earning an honorable discharge in 1964. After his military service, Ken worked in a variety of trades, including tree trimming, car mechanics, and highway bridge construction. 

His work in construction took him to many locations, including Chamberlain, South Dakota, where he met Karen. After only three months of dating, Ken and Karen were married, beginning a loving partnership that would last over 55 years.







In 1979, Ken and Karen moved their family to Minnesota, settling near Verndale, where they built a life and raised their children. Ken found joy in socializing with friends over card or dice games and was known for his talent in taking on various handyman projects around the home.

Ken is survived by his devoted wife, Karen; their three children, Timothy and his wife Michelle, Wayne and his wife Olga, and Kari; three grandchildren, Jesse and his wife Elena, Chance, and Megan and her husband Garrett; and five great-grandchildren, Owen, Leo, Bennett, Max, and Lorelei.

Ken's warmth, humor, and strong work ethic will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him.

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