Kenneth Robert Dew, 79
Kenneth Robert Dew, Lancaster, Minn., passed away one week shy of his 80th birthday.
Ken was born on April 17, 1937 to Matthew J. and Ida Mae Weiner Dew at their home in Wales, N.D., where he lived until graduating high school in 1955.
After graduation Ken moved to Pembina, N.D., where he fell in love with Miss Ann Budde, Ken and Ann married in 1960. While living in Pembina Ken got a job with the a crew that built the original Motor Coach Industries building and continued to work for MCI for 12 years.
In 1968 Ken and Ann along with their four children purchased a farm in St. Joseph Township north of Lancaster. Life on the farm was wonderful, Ken and Ann enjoyed the beautiful outdoors, they worked side by side sometimes using their Belgium horses to do the farm work.
In 1971 they welcomed another child, Dale Jeffrey Dew, Dale never came home from the hospital and died at three days old.
There wasn’t enough hours in the day to work full time and farm so Ken gave up his MCI job and went to work part time for American Crystal Sugar. Ken enjoyed his many friends and neighbors, they would often stop over for a game of cards or a shake of the dice; a cup of coffee and a sweet treat was always on the menu!
If you never got to see Ken’s beautiful display of flowers on his farm, you missed out, he had an exceptional gift of a green thumb. One of his favorite past times was mowing grass and admiring his flowers.
Ken’s beloved Ann moved into the nursing home several years ago and passed away in August of 1997. Ken stayed on the farm and continued to grow his flowers, put puzzles together and made his famously delicious donuts!
In the winter months he could be found out on the ice angling. It took some doing, but eventually Ken moved into the Senior Housing Unit in Lancaster and then into the Kittson County Memorial Nursing Home where he passed away April 10, 2017.
Ken is survived by his daughters, Val (Jon) LeClair, Grand Forks, N.D.; Mary Barron (Dennis Olsonawski), Lancaster; Gail (Randy) Cooke, Horeshoe N.C.; grandchildren – Korrine Olson, Lynn Lien, Burgundy LeClair, James, Andrew and Donald (Boo) Bannish; great grandchildren – Annlee and Jarek Olson, and Ravyn Boaz, as well as several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife Ann, his two sons, Robert and Dale, his parents, and all eight siblings, Beulah Mowbray, Fannie Valentine, Dorothy Dew, Evelyn Dew, Pearl Budde, Matthew John “Jack” Dew, Gerald Dew and Judd Dew.
Funeral services were held Monday, April 17, 2017 at 11 a.m. in Holy Rosary Catholic Church, rural Lancaster. Visitation was held for one hour prior to the service. Interment was in Holy Rosary Catholic Cemetery. Fr. Craig Vasek, presided. Casket bearers were James, Andrew and Donald Bannish, Alvin Boreman, Chris Johnson and Keith Olson.
Austin Funeral Home, Hallock, was in charge of the arrangements.
