Kenneth K. Busse, age 84, of Luverne, Minnesota, died peacefully Thursday, October 10, 2019, at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage.
A funeral service was Monday, October 14, at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne.
Kenneth Kieth Busse was born on March 1, 1935, to Edward and Emma (Herrmann) Busse in Beaver Creek, Minnesota. He was an athletic kid and loved sports and the outdoors from an early age. He played football, basketball and ran track for Beaver Creek High School and was a talented musician, playing various instruments while a member of a local big band. He was the homecoming king of his graduating class of 1952. Following high school, he attended Worthington Junior College in Worthington, Minnesota, where he played football and basketball while studying engineering/ mechanical drawing.
In 1957 he was drafted into the United States Army where he served as a Specialist 1st Class with the 78th Artillery. He was honorably discharged in 1959 and returned home to Beaver Creek and began working at Robison Sheet Metal (a company which specialized in manu-facturing church steeples). He also worked at Austin Heating and Cooling in Worthington. He worked as a plumber for Pat’s Plumbing and Heating in Luverne, Minnesota, for a number of years.
While banking in Beaver Creek, Kenny met a teller by the name of Janice Hansen. On June 26, 1960, he married Janice at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa. The couple lived in Beaver Creek before making their home in Luverne in 1961. Kenny started Busse Plumbing and Heating in 1969. His son-in-law, Jim Remme, joined him in 2003 and shortly thereafter purchased the business. Kenny continued to help when needed until his formal retirement in 2011. Kenny had a number of health setbacks in the past few years but continued to overcome the challenges sent his way and gained more valuable time with family and friends. On October 10, 2019, Kenny died peacefully at the age of 84 years, 7 months and 9 days at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage.
Kenny was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne where he served as an usher, trustee and elder. He received his baptism on March 19, 1944, and was confirmed on July 19, 1964, at the church.
He enjoyed officiating basketball and football games, taxidermy, tinkering in his man cave, and making fishing jigs. He was an avid outdoorsman, spending as much time as he could fishing, hunting and trapping. Kenny was always happy to see people. He had a great laugh and smile and was cordial to everyone.
He enjoyed heading out and supporting local restaurants where he was a regular with his family. He loved watching his grandkids’ sporting events throughout the years, cheering on the Augie volleyball, basketball and football teams, and most recently attending University of MN-Morris volleyball matches.
Kenny is lovingly remembered by his wife, Janice of Luverne; children, Tamara Czerwin of San Juan Capestrano, California, Teresa (Steve) Hady of Rochester, and Stacie (Jim) Remme of Luverne; six grandchildren, Amanda (Clay) Regan, Enya Czerwin, Lynnsey, Kennedy and Hunter Hady, and Hailey Remme; two great-grandchildren, Thomas and Abigail; and his brother, Myron (Audrey) Busse of Canby, Minnesota.
He was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, Milton and Adele Hansen; and sister-in-law, Beverly Martens.
Memorials may be directed to the St. John Lutheran Church - Little Lambs Preschool.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, www.hartquistfuneral.com.
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