Kevin Charles Kalsem

Kevin was born May 7, 1965 in Orange County, California, son of Roger and Janice (Vlasak) Kalsem. 

Kevin attended preschool and grade school in California, before moving with his parents to Waterloo, Iowa in 1968. He attended Nellie Garvey Elementary, Hoover Intermediate, and graduated from Waterloo West High in 1983. 

He did very well academically in school. He was a wrestler in 7th and 8th grade, and he played the trumpet and baritone from 5th through 12th grade, and enjoyed the marching band in high school. He was known for driving many different vehicles to school including multiple Schwinn bicycles, Trans Ams, a 3-wheeler, a snowmobile, a tractor with a hay wagon, a loader, a semi, a combine, and his propane powered 4 wheel drive truck that he parked on top of the over 24 foot tall snow bank. He had a sense of responsibility to his family, including his parents, and his two younger siblings, Kenneth and Nancy.

Growing up, he always had a knack for all things mechanical. He began wheeling and dealing at the age of 9 at auctions with his Dad, starting with antique furniture and graduating to tractors. Kevin wanted to drive a semi-truck at a young age. He used to take his siblings for rides on various vehicles including a wagon he pulled behind the lawn mower. He also helped with the church haunted hayrides by getting the fields and forest ready for the tractor and wagon to be driven through it. He helped raise sweet corn, fruits, and vegetables for the family business but sweet corn was his pride and joy. He helped with the farm machinery, not only for the family farm, but for the family farm machinery and salvage business.

He loved vintage tractors and eventually had his own collection of over a dozen antique Caterpillar tractors that he restored on his own. He showed his tractors and helped with supporting shows like Antique Acres in Cedar Falls. He was even recognized for it in the newspaper and an antique tractor magazine.

His passion for large machinery and driving a semi-trucks began at Gilbertville Mill at the age of 17. After having experience driving for them, he was able to get a job driving for Warren Transport. Before the age of 22, he drove to 47 of the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico. He had his fill of being away from home and family and chose to take a job in sales, selling a record number of semi-trucks in three months, while being employed at Donovan International. Not being an office job person, he went back to truck driving with Standard Forwarding for 20 years, retiring when he turned 45.

At the age of 40, he designed and built a home on his farm in Orange Township, south of Waterloo.  He had his own Peterbilt semi and low boy trailer. He also purchased a Cessna 182 aircraft and learned to fly by the age of 45.

Kevin’s annual trips to California with his tractor hunting buddies had him pass by the fertile Lovelock farming valley. He purchased his 40 acres in 2011 which led him to his wife, Terry. They married in on June 20, 2015. He enjoyed getting to know and take into embraced his new family of her two adult sons, daughter-in-law and eventually two grandchildren that he loved dearly.

He had a sense of responsibility to his family, including his parents, and his two younger siblings, Kenneth and Nancy. In 2018 his Dad asked him to help with the Kalsem Implement and Salvage yard business. That was the start of many road trip adventures for Kevin and Terry, including hauling equipment from Waterloo to the farm in Lovelock, motorhome vacations through National parks and annual trips to Michigan to spend time with his in-laws. Terry’s family.

Kevin is survived by his wife, Terry (Teresa Moore) Kalsem of Lovelock, Nevada, her two sons Michael (Lyssa) and Steven Goldsworthy, grandchildren Alex and Olivia Goldsworthy: brother Kenneth (Darlene) Kalsem, niece Grace Kalsem; sister Nancy Kalsem Turner and her children, Nicole Turner, Daniel Turner, Levi Kalsem, Leah Kalsem, and Charles Kalsem; Aunt June Squire, Uncle Jim Kalsem and many beloved cousins. Barrett Hilleshiem held a very special place in Kevin’s heart and life, also extended family Kylie, Bryce, Monica and daughters Charlotte and Harper Allen, and Devin Hilleshiem.  

He is preceded in death by his father, Roger Kalsem; his mother, Janice; three aunts Marjorie Muench, Becky Gater, and Merlie Kalsem; four uncles, John Kalsem, Bob Vlasak, Loren Muench, and Herb Squire.

Services will be held at New Life Fellowship Church, 515 12th Street, Lovelock, Nevada

August 24, 2024 at 11:00 am

Refreshments after graveside service also at the church.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the Waterloo area on September 21, 2024 (Time and location to follow).

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite children’s charity as he loved all children.