Obituary of Ken Remington

REMMINGTON KENNETH

Kenneth ‘Ken’ E. Remington, age 84 of Yankton, SD passed away Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD.  Funeral services will be 11:00 AM, Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Yankton, SD with Rev. Steve Weispfennig officiating.  Burial will be in the Menno Cemetery at approximately 1:45 PM Wednesday afternoon.  Visitations will be 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Onsite Crematory, Yankton, SD and then one hour prior to the service at the church.  Online condolences may be sent at: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com.  Live streaming of Ken’s service will be found at: https://server.attend.live/static/event/680pz. 

Kenneth Earl Remington was born January 25, 1940, at Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, SD to William McKinley Remington and Dorothy (Sickmann) Remington. He passed away Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD after an unexpected short illness. Visitation will be Tuesday, October 22^nd from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm at Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory with funeral services on Wednesday, October 23^rd at 11:00 am at St. John’s Lutheran Church with visitation one hour prior to the service. Lunch will follow the service with burial in Menno, SD at approximately 1:45 pm. Ken requested no prayer service be held.

He would have graduated from Yankton High School in 1958 but chose to join the Air Force instead and served for a brief time. He did finish his education and received his GED on March 3, 1986, showing you are never too old to learn.

In 1960, he worked for a construction company one summer. When summer ended so did the job. He then went to work at the Yankton State Hospital, now known as the SD Human Services Center, in August of 1960. He worked in various positions at HSC including a psychiatric aide, recreational aide in Activities, taught in Staff Development and finally his last position, before retirement, was in Job Placement, finding jobs within the facility for patients and trustees. He was a very caring and compassionate man who did not judge people but accepted them as they are.

On August 6, 1961, he married the love of his life, Lonnie (Simonsen) whom he met while washing out bedpans on Pierce 3. After meeting, he was having lunch with a co-worker, Ona Holmgren and while Lonnie was standing in the lunch line, he told Ona, “I am going to marry that girl.” Ona told him she was engaged to another man, and he said he did not care; he was going to marry her, and he wooed her until she relented and agreed to marry him. They celebrated 63 years of marriage this past August.

Ken retired from HSC in 1997 after 37 years of employment. He was not ready to quit working completely so he went to work at Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health as a janitor. He also worked with Lonnie as janitors at what is now Explorers Credit Union. In 2006, he and Lonnie took over the management job at Hillcrest East apartments for 16 years before retiring completely and moving to their current home.

Ken went through many stages of life and Jan can remember when he used to sit and talk on the CB radio with his handle of “Moccasin Man.” He went through a phase of really wanting a motorcycle but settled for a scooter instead, a 650 Suzuki. He rode around town until he felt his health did not allow him to be safe, either for him or others, and sold it. He also was a bowler for a period, bowling with Lonnie, his daughter, Jan, and her then husband, Dan, until his health forced him to discontinue that hobby. He continued to enjoy watching bowling by spending time with Lonnie on the Tuesday Night Doubles League and watching his great granddaughter, Aubrey, participate on the YHS bowling team when he could.

As you can see, Ken lived a full life and he is survived by his wife, Lonnie, and daughter, Jan Putnam, Gayville. Although Ken came from a large family, he only had a small close tight-knit family so was blessed with two grandchildren, Christopher Putnam, Yankton, Nicole Putnam (Fiancé Cody Jansen), Vermillion and one great granddaughter, Aubrey Putnam. Other surviving relatives include his brother, Robert Remington, Fullerton, CA, sister, Wilma Jean (Jeanie) Simonsen, Menno and brother-in-law, Roger Simonsen, Menno. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews from the large family growing up.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Dorothy, brothers William (Billy Joe) and Donald along with his sisters Dolores Christensen, Dorothy Sylliaasen and Mary Cline.

Pallbearers for his service will be Roger Hora, Cody Jansen, Mark Katterhagen, Jerry Kohoutek, Scott Simonsen and Tim Simonsen.

Honorary Pallbearers: Christopher Putnam, Nicole Putnam, Aubrey Putnam and the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out group).