Kenneth D. Iverson

Obituary

Kenneth Daniel Iverson was born on October 18, 1925, in Carpenter, South Dakota. He was the son of Henry and Pearl (McMillan) Iverson. Kenneth was baptized as an infant and later confirmed in his faith as a youth. He received his education in Carpenter and graduated with the 1947 class of Doland (South Dakota) High School after returning from World War II. Kenneth furthered his education at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City, achieving a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1952. Kenneth entered active military service with the United States Marines on November 27, 1942, in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He received an Honorable Discharge on January 7, 1946, in Mare Island, California. He reenlisted in the Army National Guard on March 29, 1951 and was honorably discharged December 1, 1952. His WWII service took him from New Zealand throughout the islands of the Pacific Ocean ending in Japan September through December of 1945.  Kenneth received the Presidential Unit Citation (Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon) awarded the Second Marine Division, Reinforced, for service on Tarawa, Gilbert Islands and the Island of Saipan in the Marianas.

On November 1, 1947, Kenneth was united in marriage to Josephine Lundy. This marriage was blessed with two children, Dorothy and Roger. Kenneth and Josephine resided in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. They shared 58 years of marriage until Josephine’s passing on August 15, 2006.

Kenneth was employed as a Civil Engineer at Ellerbe Architects for 27 years. He was also employed by the Corps of Engineers, Lovering Construction, Elba Construction and Donovan Lovering Boyle Construction. The Twin Cities’ skyline is dotted with buildings Kenneth either worked on or supervised for Ellerbe. Among those buildings are the State Highway Headquarters, St. Paul Post Office remodel, Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in St. Paul, Western Life Insurance in Woodbury, and schools in Robbinsdale and Wayzata, to name a few. Toward the end of his career with Ellerbe, he supervised hospitals in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, and Minnesota including Fairview Southdale Hospital, Lakeview Memorial Hospital in Stillwater, Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, and the University of Minnesota Hospital.

Kenneth enjoyed reading, whittling, and building model ships and doll houses. Kenneth was a Lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Boy and Girls Scouts of America. He stepped up and became a Girl Scout leader for Dorothy’s high school troop when other parents weren’t able to take on the job. Roger’s Boy Scout troop needed leadership so Kenneth became their Assistant Scout Master spending his summer vacation at Boy Scout camp.

Kenneth passed away on Thursday, February 25, 2021, at the Haven at Peace Village in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, at the age of 95 years. Blessed be his memory.

Kenneth is survived by his:
Children, Dorothy Simmons and her husband, Tom, of Norwood Young America, MN,
Roger Iverson of White Bear Lake, MN;
Grandchildren, Kevin Simmons (Erin) of North Mankato, MN; Kelli Hansen (Curtis) of Victoria, MN; Kortney Simmons (Les Haack) of Winsted, MN;
Great Grandchildren, Will, Claire, Sam, and Emma Simmons, Olivia and Marnie Hansen;
Siblings, Barney Iverson (Marge) of Kirkland, WA,
Sharon Moeller (Dan) of Freeman, SD;
Many other relatives and friends.

Kenneth is preceded in death by his Parents, Henry and Pearl Iverson; Wife, Josephine Iverson; Sister, Maxine Peterson and her husband, Ernest.

Interment will be April 17th at 3:00 PM at Richland Cemetery in Carpenter, South Dakota.

Memorials are preferred to the Brain Support Network to further research on aging disorders.