Kenneth Corcoran

Kenneth "Corky" J. (Muir) Corcoran, 84, died peacefully in his sleep at home in Casselton on Saturday evening, June 27, 2015. He leaves his wife of 62 years, Brenda; four daughters, Kathy (Ken) Tolzman of Tucson, AZ, Francie (Robert) Albaugh, of Wheatland, ND, Jeannie (Mike) Shannon, of Minneapolis, MN, and Pamela (Jarett) Gregerson of Alice, ND; two sons James (Carolyn), of Dedham, MA, and John, of Casselton, ND; sister, Marian Schmidt, of Casselton, ND, and a brother, Edward Muir, of Naples, FL; his eight grandchildren Dan (Betsy) Tolzman, Stephanie Edelbrock, Joshua (Ali) Albaugh, Sara (Ryan) Reiswig, George Faegre, Alex Eberhardt, Bethany and Jenna Corcoran; great-grandchildren, Ryder Albaugh and Corinne Tolzman, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents James and Emma (Rieck) Corcoran; brothers Leo, Thomas, Robert Muir, and Thomas Mahoney; and sisters Elizabeth Mahoney and Dorothy Matzke. Born in Chicago, IL on September 28, 1930, Kenneth moved with his family from Alice to Casselton in 1938. There he remained, except for a four-year stint in the Air Force, where he served as a fireman first in Okinawa and later in Great Britain. When stationed in Great Britain, on an air base in Wales, he met a young woman selling tickets at the movie theater. Her name was Brenda Kettle. When his tour ended, the two returned to Casselton and were married on November 13, 1952, at St. Leo's Catholic Church. He started work with the railroad in 1953 and retired as a foreman with a bridge and building section for the Burlington Northern in 1983. In retirement, Kenneth took his love for carpentry and woodworking into his garage workshop. There, while listening to the country western music of Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, and any version of the Wabash Cannonball ever recorded, he built his birdhouses or gave new life to chairs reclaimed at the town dump. And when not in the workshop he was out in his '88 Caddy driving about town or the countryside checking on the crops, or shuttling neighbors who didn't drive or have an available ride, to Fargo for doctors' appointments or shopping trips. Kenneth, along with his wife Brenda, enjoyed tending to their backyard and flower garden, relaxing in their lawn chairs on summer evenings, and spending time with the family. Kenneth also was an avid Minnesota Twins and Vikings fan and enjoyed watching the games on TV. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a volunteer for more than 25 years with the Casselton Fire Department, a staunch union member, and a devoted member of St. Leo's Catholic Church. Memorials can be sent to Hospice of the Red River Valley or Casselton Ambulance. Visitation: Wednesday, July 1, 2015 from 6 to 7 PM at West Funeral Home, Casselton with a 7 PM Prayer Service. Funeral Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 10:30 AM at St. Leo's Catholic Church, Casselton. With visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial: St. Leo's Catholic Cemetery at a later date. West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center westfuneralhome.com