Ken WICKDAHL

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WICKDAHL: Ken left this world Thursday, August 9, 2018. He is now pain free, walking tall and looking for that next machine that needs fixing or repairing. Kenneth Allan Wickdahl was born October 30, 1945 in Minnedosa, MB. He grew up the only child of Nancy and William Wickdahl on the family farm NW 2-18-18 east of Erickson, MB. He attended Otter Lake school and Erickson collegiate. He credited his uncle Einar Nystrom with his life time love of all things machinery, fixing, rebuilding and inventing better ways. He started his welding career at Agristeel in Minnedosa, MB, spent many years working for Smook Bos. of Thompson, MB and ended his career at Regent Rentals in Brandon, MB. He married Sharon Borley on December 5, 1969 at the Erickson Lutheran Church in Erickson, MB. We started married life on the family farm. Our son Kory was born January 29, 1974 and on September 24, 1976 our family was completed with the arrival of Kristyn. Looking for job opportunities, we moved to Thompson in 1986, this began Ken’s love affair with the north. He loved the bush, the lakes, the fishing and skiddooing, and the opportunities at Smook Bros. to work on, and build machinery he never would have seen otherwise. Also while holidaying from Thompson he discovered the Caribbean and Mexico, and fulfilled a life time dream of learning to dive and snorkel. He was lucky to have one last trip to Mexico in March made even more special because his “girls” were able to come with us. On retirement, short lived, we moved to Alexander, MB in 2011, but Ken could not handle the inactivity, so he tried driving grader for the municipality for a short time, but soon went back to his first love, welding and repairing for Regent Rentals. He was working full time right up until March when the cancer was diagnosed. Ken is survived by, and lovingly remembered by, his wife Sharon, his son Kory, and his daughter Kristyn (Thompson). He will also be missed by his grandkids who meant the world to him. Jayden and Jordan Bayer shared his love of fishing and boating, Alexis Bayer and Peyton Wickdahl, his “girls” who he taught to snorkel and drive, and find their way around a garage, and the twins Emersyn and Karsen Wickdahl, who unfortunately he was just getting to know when he had to leave us. Ken will also be remembered by several cousins, and by Sharon’s brothers Stu and Stan Borley and their families, as well as friends and fishing buddies from Erickson and Thompson. At Ken’s request he was cremated and there was no service. Remember him with a beer and a herring shared with a friend. Minnedosa Funeral Home provided support and cremation services.

As published in Brandon Sun on Aug 18, 2018