Ted Owen Tendick

Ted Owen Tendick, 96, of Hayfield, Minnesota passed away at Field Crest Care Center in Hayfield on October 16, 2025, surrounded by his five daughters.

Ted was born on August 22,1929, the eldest son of Carl and Mary (Holmes) Tendick in Mt Pulaski, Illinois. The family moved to Rochester, Minnesota when Ted was a young child. Ted graduated from Rochester High School in 1947 and attended the University of Minnesota before serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1951-1953 as a B-29 flight crew member with the Strategic Air Command during the Korean War, flying 24 missions.

Upon returning from the Air Force, Ted was united in marriage to Jacqueline Joyce Sund on July 17, 1954, in Viroqua, Wisconsin.

Ted and Jackie began their marriage in Rochester, where Ted worked as a carpenter and Jackie as a nurse. After a few years, they moved to a farm west of Hayfield, Minnesota, where Ted took up farming. In 1963, they relocated to a farm east of Hayfield where Ted continued farming, resumed his carpentry work, and eventually designed and built a new home for their growing family.

Ted remained active in both farming and construction until retiring at the age of 62 in 1991. He and Jackie then purchased an acreage west of Hayfield; Ted once again designed and built a home for their retirement where he enjoyed reading, studying history, and debating politics. His hobbies included woodworking, welding birds from scrap metal, fishing, hunting, traveling, and visiting family and friends. As a private pilot, he enjoyed flying his Piper Tri-Pacer plane.

Known for his cynic wit and great knowledge of history, Ted Owen authored the novel "Charles the Throwback" and wrote poetry anthologies under the pseudonym of Theodore Tendyke.

Ted served his community as a church elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Hayfield, Minnesota, and as a Dodge County Commissioner from 1993 to 1997.

He was greatly loved by his family.

He is survived by his five daughters Joan Tendick Converse (Larry), Spring Valley, Minnesota, Nancy Howland (Ray), Arlington, Texas, Sara Wall (Art), Morgan Hill, California, Lisa Arenas (Leon), Durham, North Carolina, and Virginia Garness (Ken), Park Rapids, Minnesota; seven grandchildren Kaitlynn Wall Castillo (Nathan), Spencer Garness (Sarah), Briana Howland, Courtney Wall Perez-O'Dess (Emery), Olivia Arenas Rahimtoola (Danial), Garret Garness (Sheanda), Daniel Howland (Katie); 13 great grandchildren; brother Richard Tendick (Judy), Lakeville, Minnesota; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Jackie Tendick in 2019, parents, brother Rex Tendick, and sister Carol Sperling.

A private inurnment will be held at Preston Veteran Cemetery in Preston, Minnesota.

Blessed be his memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Field Crest Care Center & Assisted Living, 318 2nd St NE, Hayfield, Minnesota 55940.