Kenneth Otteson

Kenneth Otteson, 81 of New London, died Thursday, May 23, 2024, with family by his side at his home near New London. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at Crow River Lutheran Church. Visitation will be 4:00-8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 31, at the Johnson Funeral Home in Belgrade and for one hour prior to the service at church. A private burial service will be held at Colfax Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are with the Johnson Funeral Home.
Kenneth Leroy Otteson was born on April 12th 1943 to Paul and Ethel Otteson on a family farm in rural Belgrade. He grew up with siblings Shirley, Arvid and Donnie. Kenny attended country school as a boy and went on to attend high school in both Belgrade and Brooten, MN. Kenny enlisted in the Navy on April 22, 1965 and was honorably discharged on May 14, 1968 after serving in Vietnam.
After coming home from the Navy, he met and fell in love with Caroline Wohlin whom he married on November 7th, 1970. They lived in St Paul for a short time before buying land in Colfax township from Caroline's parents where they built a home and raised their three children, Jenny, Christa, and Derek.
He worked in many areas as a mechanic including as a partner in Bonanza Valley Diesel Service in Belgrade. He eventually settled into a life of driving big rigs across the country and forming friendships wherever the road took him. In 2023, after logging more than five million miles, Ken retired from trucking just a month shy of his 80th birthday. And, in true K.O. form, he was talking about the next truck he wag going to buy and fix three days later.
Kenny was a proud, lifelong member of the Crow River Lutheran Church where he was happy to pitch in with mowing, serving as an usher, and working at the annual Men's Supper, proving he could peel potatoes with the best of them. Together with his wife Caroline, Kenny treasured his church community and the time spent at Crow River with family and dear friends.
Kenny enjoyed life and loved visiting and meeting new people. He was unquestionably reliable, and always eager to help whenever someone needed a part for a car, a hand in fixing something, or just to share a cup of coffee and a few stories. Kenny loved his morning visits over breakfast and shaking dice at the Ka-De-Shack and he was always up for a competitive game of cards at the end of a family get-together.
Kenny could fix darn near anything, loved old cars, and enjoyed being a member of the Sunburg Trolls Car Club. He loved racing with family and friends and, over the years, had everything from go-carts to stock cars and snowmobiles. Whether his role was driver, car owner, sponsor, spectator, or mechanic, he was always ready to race, and had won many checkered flags over the years.
Kenny and Caroline bought a cabin on West Norway Lake where they loved to host friends and family, watching the grandkids play in the water or chuckling when he was pulling them tubing. He was so proud of his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids, who brought so much joy to his life. Kenny loved attending his grandkids' events, helping them in any way, and sharing a good belly laugh every chance he got.
Kenny was a hardworking and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He was always there through good times and bad, a rock, steadfast and true. Kenny always came through for his kids, his grandkids, his nieces and nephews, his extended family and his countless friends.
Kenny was called home on the evening of May 23, 2024, surrounded by loved ones and serenaded with his favorite hymns. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Ethel Otteson and brothers Donnie and Arvid. He is survived by his sister Shirley; his wife Caroline; his children Jennifer Templer-Brown (Larry Brown), Christa Otteson (Josh Reed) and Derek Otteson (Angela Magnuson); seven grandchildren Trent (Hayley), Taylor (Mitch), Ian, Carson, Mhina, Carlee, Rae, and Clara and two great-grandchildren; Treyton and Miller.
Kenny was deeply loved by his family and will be greatly missed.
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