Kiel Warnken

The funeral service for Kiel Richard Warnken will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the River Park Chapel, Macken Funeral Home in Rochester, with the Rev. Heather E. Klason officiating. The visitation will be on Tuesday evening from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the River Park Chapel, Macken Funeral Home, and one hour to the funeral on Wednesday. The funeral procession will travel to the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Wilson Township of Winona County. Casket bearers will be Kiel's parents, brother, and uncles. His close friends will be honorary casket bearers.

Kiel Richard Warnken, 28, of Rochester was killed Thursday, Oct. 1, as a result of a tragic accident that occurred at a quarry mining and asphalt facility.

He was born July 27, 1987, at 7 a.m. in Rochester, to Rick and Sheryl (Babcock) Warnken. Kiel was a Mayo High School graduate of the Class of 2006, and completed the truck driving course for a CDL (commercial driver's license) in 2007, at the Southeast Technical College in Winona. He worked at various jobs at the following: Holiday Inn South, Rochester City Lines, Med City/Star Limousine, PetSmart, Walmart in Rochester and Blue Earth, Sam's Club in Apple Valley, and McLane in Northfield. Truck-driving jobs that took him into at least 20 states included Midwestern Bio Ag in Utica, Quandt Trucking in Grand Meadow, MacFarland Truck Lines in Austin, Lunning Trucking in LeRoy, Eilen & Sons Trucking in Hampton, LC Trucking in Kasson, and Rochester Asphalt and Concrete. Places he had lived are Lewiston, Winona, Lakeville, Farmington, Welch, Pine Island and Rochester.

He enjoyed tractors and lawn mowers at his grandparents. His Big Wheel tires would no longer roll after long hours of riding. He played football and broke his arm a time or two. He was an assistant for the Mayo Spartans girls basketball team. He spent a few years after school rebuilding a 1964 Ford F100 pickup for Rochester VICA Street Rods/Skills USA. The Titanic and the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior always intrigued him. The Minnesota Vikings were watched on TV, and the Twins games at Target Field were enjoyed with his family and grandmothers. Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Kyle Busch were Kiel's favorite NASCAR drivers. He loved to watch ghost shows, but never alone. Took countless pictures of sunsets and loved the peacefulness of the country. He took his first airplane flight this year to Houston, Texas, and two weeks later flew with his family to Dallas, Texas, for a family wedding. Alex and Casey (the other family members) were the family pugs. His brother and him would go for rides in the truck and laugh for hours over lines of funny movies. Kiel loved to sing '80s songs with his mom, and crank the tunes of his favorite country music.

Kiel fell in love with semi tractors after riding along many times with his dad. He always hugged and kissed his family, told them that he loved them, before walking out the door. He had the outlook in life to respect, to help family and friends, and to make people happy.
After Kiel's death, his close friends paid honor to him with "One Last Ride" for Kiel. They made 200 window stickers and almost sold all of them within hours. They rallied friends and family to drive the streets of Rochester. Freedom Flag Runners of Winona rallied the streets also, and presented the family with an American flag and T-shirt. They came from all over to pay their respects.

Kiel is survived by his parents, Sheryl and Rick; his brother, David Babcock; grandmother, Joyce Warnken; five uncles and their families: Roger and Judi Babcock, Gene and Sharon Warnken, Gary and Sue Babcock, Glenn Warnken, Ron and Susie Babcock. Kiel was preceded in death by his grandparents, Donald Warnken and Clifford and Jessie Babcock, and an uncle, Charles Babcock.

Memorials are preferred to the family or donor's choice.
Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com.