Kenneth Carlson, 101, was born January 28,1923 to J. Verner and Tilda (Oakland) Carlson on the family farm near Harrison, SD.  He was baptized and confirmed at Ebenezer Lutheran church and attended DeLange country school.   After school he helped his parents on the farm but wondered what else life might offer away from home.  As a teenager, he followed his cousin to the Elmer Wevik farm south of Beresford.  He picked corn by hand for 3 cents/bushel.  He decided to stay in the area, working for various farmers and was also a cook at The White Palace Café in Sioux City, IA.

There was a very good reason to stay around Alcester because this is where his cousin Millie introduced him to a pretty young gal named Doris Hagen, while working on his aunt Hulda & Hank Otten's farm.

After Doris graduated from Augustana Academy & a secretarial school in Sioux City, they were married May 18, 1945 at Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Hudson, SD.  Ken was home from boot camp after joining the US Navy in February, 1945.  He served on the USS Denebola in the Pacific Islands until he was honorably discharged in March 1946.

Ken & Doris returned to SD to work on the Vernon Swanson farm for a year until he was able to rent the Doc Eggelston farm north of Alcester.  They raised livestock, crops and a family of five children on this farm until March 1965 when they bought a farm west of Alcester.  They continued an active life of farming while enjoying visits from family & friends for the next 43 years.  They were also lifelong members of Nathanael Lutheran Church in Alcester.

They moved into Alcester in August 2008.  Doris passed away suddenly on June 27, 2012.  Ken moved to the Prairie Creek Independent Living in Sioux Falls in 2015 and Assisted Living in 2022.  He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on July 10, 2024 at the Dougherty Hospice House, Sioux Falls, SD.

Ken was ahead of his time as a farmer.  He embraced minimum tillage, sold solar panels and Amsoil, a synthetic oil. Ken worked hard but also enjoyed life with Doris, family & friends.  He always made time to take the family on fishing trips, visit relatives & take sightseeing trips.  Ken & Doris enjoyed 25 years of square dancing, wintering in Mercedes, TX for several years and took trips to several countries, including Spain, Tangiers, the Scandinavian countries, Hawaii and the Holy Lands.

The farm was a very favorite place for the grandkids.  They loved being with grandpa & grandma, feeding the animals, playing in the barns, helping with the chores, freezing corn, Christmas celebrations and more fishing trips to nearby lakes.

Ken was very handy and could fix or build many things, whether it was repairing farm equipment or making a crib or cabinet for his growing family.  He couldn't afford to buy a pontoon so he made one out of wood & fiberglass.  He was also a skilled woodworker and carver.  Ken & Doris attended many craft shows, displaying & selling his projects. Two of his award-winning carvings were in the SD Senior Traveling Arts Show.

His lifelong love of fishing was topped off with two fishing trips on the Missouri River when he was 100 & 101 years old.  The PVA Joel Niemeyer Memorial "Gone Fishing" Tournament generously provided these trips.  On the first trip he was interviewed & appeared on the American Heroes Outdoors TV show, which was aired this spring.  He was also interviewed by the Sioux Falls Dakota News Now station, highlighting his carving hobby.  It was aired Jan. 31, 2024.

Ken is survived by his five children:  Linda (Lee) Hinkley, Forest City, IA, David (Sandy) Carlson, Alcester, Linette (Jeff) Trudeau, Sioux Falls, Julie (Steve) Montgomery, Sioux Falls and James Carlson, Morrison, CO. Also surviving are his 10 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren: Chris (Shannon Wolf) Hinkley, Broadwater, NE, Bailee Eck, Mark Eck Alliance, NE, Tad (Kristi Mutter) Hinkley, Savannah, Magnolia & Beila, Fort Collins, CO. Andrew (Rachel) Hinkley, Cameron Park, CA, Shane Carlson, Whitefish, MT, Grace & Morgan, Minneapolis, MN, Shannon (Dennis) Motl, Sophia & Ava, Robbinsdale, MN. Matthew (Rachelle) Carlson & Ella, Sioux Falls. Justin (Renae) Trudeau, Sioux Falls. Jordan Trudeau, New Richland, WI. Jody (Aaron) Aadland, Soren, Macy & Jonah Sioux Falls, Stephanie (Rob) Maier & Tristin, Brandon, SD, Samantha Maier & Liam, Sioux Falls; plus, many nieces, nephews, other relatives & friends.

Ken was preceded in death by his wife, Doris of 67 years; an infant daughter, Bonnie; his brothers, Ted (Edna), Marvin (Valarie), Vic (Ruby); sister, Rosanna (Marven); and infant sister, Naomi.

Special thanks to the staff of the Good Samaritan Society, VA Hospital and Avera at Home. Ken's body was donated to the USD Medical School, per his wishes.

Memorial services will be held 2PM Saturday, July 27, 2024 at Nathanael Lutheran Church, Alcester, SD. Visitation will be 4-6PM Friday, July 26th with a short prayer service at 6PM at the Wass Funeral Chapel in Alcester. The inurnment will be at a later date at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Alcester. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Nathanael Lutheran Church or the Paralyzed Veterans of America, North Central Chapter, "Gone Fishing" Tournament.