Kenneth H. Moorhead

Monday, March 27, 1933
Date of Death:
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Age:
92 years old
Kenneth H. Moorhead
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kenneth H. Moorhead on June 26th, 2025
Kenneth Moorhead was born March 27, 1933, to Kenneth S. And Margaret (Saholt) Moorhead. He was the middle of three children with an older sister Jeannine and younger sister Diane. He grew up in Rochester and graduated from Rochester High School. He later attended Rochester Junior College and received an Associate’s Degree.
Other than a two-year deployment to Zweibrucken, Germany with the US Army Ken lived his entire life in the Rochester area. He often told of watching the Mayo building being erected as he worked at the Mayo Library across the street.
Ken worked briefly at Rochester Dairy and then began a 31-year career at IBM Rochester. During this time he met and courted Lenora Kettwick, they married on Dec 28, 1962. They were married over 62 years at the at the time of his death. They began their family in Rochester, Ken and Lenora had four children, Kirk followed by three daughters Laurie, Kristin and Anne. They later moved to a farm North of town.
In addition to working at IBM Ken enjoyed farming on the side. The family raised sweetcorn and strawberries. Ken also loved hospitality and shared his land with numerous others by hosting hayrides for Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, Youth groups and High School Clubs. The farm also was the venue for family reunions, RHS reunions and church campouts. Ken will be remembered by many children for his little red wagon which gave rides both at the family farm and the church Vacation Bible School.
Service was always a main component of Ken’s life and took on a new level of importance after Ken retired from IBM. He then filled his time by volunteering as a driver for Channel One Food Bank and the Cancer Society, driving cancer patients to their appointments. He was also part of a church men’s outreach, doing odd jobs for the elderly and disadvantaged. Ken was also a mentor in the Big Brother program. Ken served in many roles in his church and was also a longtime member of the church choir.
In his later years he joined the Young at Heart Singers, performing at nursing homes and churches around Rochester. Ken loved to sing and he also loved to tell jokes. If you ever visited the Moorhead home you were sure to be offered a Dr Pepper, then told a joke and a story. Ken and his wife Lenora had an open-door policy; everyone was welcome. They hosted regular card parties and had a 55-year streak of hosting a New Year’s Eve card party.
After his faith, the most important thing in Ken’s life was his family. He is preceded in death by his parents Ken Sr and Peg Moorhead, a sister Jeannine (and Merlin) Schendel.
He is survived by his wife Lenora, his children Kirk, Laurie (Terry Jacobson) Kristin (Raghav Singh) Anne (Ravi Menon) his beloved grandchildren Karissa (Sam Peterson), Chase Jacobson (Emi), Kira Jacobson, Karsten Singh and Hannah Singh. And his dear great-grandchildren Sogn & Harrison Peterson, his sister Diane (Gary Neumann) and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life funeral service will be held on Tuesday, July 8th at 11:00 am at Rochester Community Church, 971 16th Street SE, Rochester, MN. A visitation will be held at Macken Funeral Home on July 7th from 5-7pm and also one hour before the service at Rochester Community Church on July 8th.
Ken will be missed by many whose lives he touched. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations will be accepted. The donations will be shared among Ken’s favorite charities including The Exchange, a ministry for the underserved populations in Rochester.
Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com
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