Kenneth was born June 27, 1929, to Frances Margaret (Kreber) and Charles Henry Kayl. He attended elementary school at the Saint Joseph Catholic School in Gregory and he attended Gregory High School. He met Winifred Mavee Klinefelter, the love of his life, during eighth grade. He joined the army in 1948, and was stationed at Camp Lee in Virginia. He was discharged from the army in June of 1950. He married Winifred on October 10, 1950. He and Winifred had been married 15 days short of 70 years. By November of 1950, the army had recalled him to active duty to serve in the Korean War. He often said the army sent him to Korea for his honeymoon. While in Korea he was shot/wounded in the back. A bad back troubled him the rest of his life. Kenneth was a member of the Gregory American Legion, Winner Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). At the American Legion he served as Sergeant at Arms and as the Post Commander. He loved God, Family, and the USA.
Kenneth and Winifred farmed south of Gregory and also south of Lucas until they moved to the farm north of Gregory in 1959. They had eight children. He loved farming and ranching. He enjoyed planting row crops, corn, and milo in the spring, stacking and baling hay in the summer, and cutting silage in the fall. He worked to feed the livestock in the winter, but it was not his favorite time of the year. Especially during the winter, he enjoyed reading magazines and books. As a reward for himself, he loved to eat a bowl of ice cream and/or a bowl of popcorn. As an early winter task, it was not a chore because he loved doing it, he and Winifred would make a ton of peanut and coconut brittle to give as a gift for Christmas. He enjoyed deer hunting. He enjoyed having out of state pheasant hunters hunt and stay on the farm, this enabled him to learn more about those parts of the country. One of his more enjoyable CHORES was taking the family to go boating and water skiing on Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River.
Kenneth Joseph Kayl, 91, of Gregory, SD, passed away September 25, 2020, at Fort Meade from complications from COVID-19.
Kenneth is survived by the love of his life, Winifred; his daughters, Kathy (Denny) Christensen of Spearfish, SD, Chris (Karl) Christensen of Lincoln, NE, and Rose (Mark) Malatesta of Herndon, VA; four sons, Ken David (Re) of Black Hawk, SD, Matt (Cindy) of San Lorenzo, CA, Allan of Dallas, SD, and Pat (Melanie) of Gregory, SD; many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; sister-in-law, Jean Kayl; brother-in-law, Joe Putnam; lots of cousins, nieces, and nephews. These and all his friends will miss him.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Frances; his son, Roy; his three sisters, Evelyn (Al) Albers, Maxine (Mandis) Meyers, and Mary Lou Putnam; his one brother, Charles (Chuck) C. Kayl; his daughter-in-law, Judy Kayl; grandson, Cord Hahn; and great-grandson, Samuel James Pesek.
The family of Kenneth Kayl wishes to extend their sincere thanks to the staff at the Fort Meade VA for taking excellent care and loving our dad for the past seven years.
Memorial services will be announced later and, because of COVID, will be scheduled for this summer. (Hoping for services in Gregory on June 26, 2021, because Ken's birthday would have been on June 27th, 2021, but that date is a Sunday.) Cards may be sent to Kinkade Funeral Chapel in care of Kenneth Kayl at 1235 Junction Ave. Sturgis, SD 57785