Kenneth L. Wills, age 94, of Kimball, died Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at Harmony River in Hutchinson.
A Celebration of Life will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 1, 2021 at the Kimball Christian Church with Pastor Kevin White officiating. Burial will follow at Lake Union Covenant Cemetery, rural South Haven. Visitation will be held from 10:00-10:45 a.m. on Saturday at the church.
Kenneth Lloyd Wills was born October 18, 1926 in St Paul, Minnesota to Milo and Hazel (Nordstrom) Wills Caylor. Ken grew up on the family farm and attended school in Kimball. Ken went into the Army during the Second World War. He was stationed in Little Rock AR, Washington, and the Philippines. He initially was assigned heavy weapons in the infantry and was in route to Japan when the peace treaty was signed. Ken was redirected to the Philippines and transferred to the Military Police. Decorations and Citations he earned while in the Army were Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal, Good Conduct medal, WWII Victory medal and Philippine Independence ribbon. After his release from active duty, he went to Dunwoody Institute for 2 years for carpentry. Ken was united in marriage to Lois G. Eckman at the Kimball Church of Christ on May 23, 1953. They lived in Annandale for a short time, before moving to Bloomington to raise their two daughters. Ken started as a carpenter and then became a housing and building contractor, building custom homes. In 1987, Ken and Lois returned to his family farmstead, outside of Kimball. Upon Ken's retirement, he and Lois remained busy by selling crafts at craft shows and art fairs in the upper Midwest. For many years they also had a building and sold their creative items at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. They made quite the pair as Ken used his carpenter skills to make the wooden crafts, and Lois would use her artistic abilities to paint and carve them. Ken was a member of the Kingston American Legion Post #483. In his spare time, Ken enjoyed being outdoors, going to their cabin on Bowstring Lake, snowmobiling, hunting, and fishing. He also continued to spend time in his shop woodworking.
Ken is survived by his daughters, Luanne (Gordy) Petersen of Andover and Bobbi (Jim) Corrigan of Eden Prairie; six grandchildren, Jason (Kari) and Chris Petersen, Ryan (Karen), Sean, Cameron (Patti) and Kelli Corrigan; four great-grandchildren, Ashley and Nicholas Petersen, and Everly and Addison Corrigan; sister, Merle Wylie of Hopkins; and other family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Lois; parents, Milo Wills and Hazel Wills Caylor; and brother, Donald Wills.
Jason Petersen, Christ Petersen, Ryan Corrigan, Sean Corrigan, Cameron Corrigan, and Kelli Corrigan will serve as urn bearers.
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