Kenneth Saeger

Kenneth "Ken" Saeger, 93, of Milbank, SD, passed away on Friday, December 5, 2025, at St. William's Care Center in Milbank, SD.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank. Pastor Chris Davis will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Saturday. Burial will be at Milbank City Cemetery.

The service will be livestreamed and recorded and will be viewable at the bottom of this page.

Kenneth “Ken” Richard Saeger was born on December 6, 1931, in Milbank, SD, to Frederick and Bertha (Engel) Saeger. He was baptized and confirmed at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank. Ken attended school in Milbank and graduated with the Class of 1950.

After high school, he worked for the Herald Advance and the Grant County Review for a year before attending Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Ken often remarked on how close-knit the campus community was, so close that two of his college roommates remained lifelong friends. He graduated in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Art. Following college, Ken returned to South Dakota and accepted his first teaching position in Strandburg, SD. He loved his time there and often spoke fondly of his students, frequently sharing how cooperative and supportive their parents were.

In 1966, Ken married DeLoris Mae Olla Likness at Langford Evangelical Lutheran Church in Langford, SD. They made their home in Milbank. The following year, they chose to teach at the same school, and both began working at the Corona School in Corona, SD. During his years there, Ken served as the journalism advisor and led the Journalism Press Club. Under his guidance, the students won three consecutive sweepstakes awards, surpassing larger schools such as Sioux Falls Washington, an achievement Ken took pride in, though he always credited the students’ hard work rather than his own. During this time, Ken was awarded the Founders Award. Ken and Mae continued teaching in Corona until the school closed in 1983. He then worked for Charles Tobin at the Midland Atlas Printing Company, where he enjoyed the print and advertising work. After the business was sold, he returned to education as a substitute teacher in the Big Stone City and Ortonville school districts. Ken and Mae both retired in 2000.

Ken was a devoted member of Emanuel Lutheran Church, where he taught Sunday School for 25 years, operated the church sound system for 40 years, served as a church elder, and participated in Bible study, the Lutheran Laymen’s League, and the Bell Choir. Together, Ken and Mae, along with Vern and Kathy Koopman and Ralph and Jeanette Stenslend, established the Orphan Grain Train program in Milbank. The program continues to flourish today because of the late Earl and Helen Bohlen’s donation of the construction of the building and the land on which it stands.

Teaching his students was always at the heart of Ken’s life. He formed many lasting relationships within the school communities and cherished the connections he made. Over the years, Ken and Mae also opened their home to five foreign exchange students and one local open enrollment student. One of those students, Bert Eich, who lived with them from 1983–1984, remains in daily contact with the couple, a testament to the profound impact they had on the young people they welcomed into their lives.

Outside of work, Ken enjoyed painting and tinkering with projects of all kinds. He and Mae loved visiting friends and family and often traveled to Strandburg for dinner and conversation.

Ken is survived by his wife, “Mae” Saeger of Milbank, SD; nephew, Dr. Robert (Gloria) Saeger of Scottsdale, AZ; nieces: Carol Gerck of Parker, CO; and Janet (Bob) Hellberg of Scottsdale, AZ; and five foreign exchange students and one open enrolled student who became family. He was preceded in death by his parents: Frederick and Bertha Saeger; brothers: Harold Saeger, Francis Saeger, and Warren Saeger; father-in-law and mother-in-law: Elmer and Lorraine Likness; sister-in-law, Carol Likness; brother-in-law, Elroy Likness; and nephew-in-law, Chuck Gerck.