Kay Klages

Kay Klages, 72, of Watertown and formerly of Miller, passed away Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at Jenkins Living Center in Watertown.

Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, May 27, 2011 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Miller with Pastor Bob Ohnstad officiating. Burial followed at Hillcrest Cemetery at Miller.  Visitation was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 26, 2011 followed by a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at Reck Funeral Home in Miller.

Kay Rowen was born June 17, 1938 at Miller to Clifford and Leila (Eggleston) Rowen of rural Wessington, South Dakota.  She attended elementary school in Rose Hill Township at a rural school (Rowen School) and graduated from Miller High School in 1956.

After attending Huron College for one year, she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where she was employed at a downtown bank.  On October 6, 1957, she and Robert Klages were married at Rose Hill Presbyterian Church of rural Wessington.  In 1958, Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Texas and Germany.  Kay joined Bob in Germany in December of 1959.  Their daughter, Rhonda, was born in Stuttgart, Germany in 1960.  When Bob’s tour of duty was completed, they returned to South Dakota, living for a short while in Huron.  They returned to Miller in the summer of 1961 and continued living there for 46 years.  Their daughter Susan was born in 1964.  They decided to move to Watertown so that they could see more of their daughters and their families in June of 2007.

Kay worked as a secretary/bookkeeper for several places in Miller including S.D. Board of Cosmetology, Prairie Good Samaritan Society, Hines Construction and Hand County Deputy Register of Deeds for many years.

While living in Miller they joined Trinity Lutheran Church where Kay belonged to TLCW, Grace Circle, BPW and Republican Women.  When they moved to Watertown, they joined the Lutheran Church of our Redeemer and Kay joined the Mary Circle.

Kay enjoyed spending time visiting with friends, crewel embroidery, reading, playing dominos with friends and spending time with her grandchildren.

Kay is survived by her husband, Bob of Watertown; daughters: Rhonda (Steve) Blickensderfer and their son, Alex of Fargo, ND and Susan (Bob) Dahl and their children, Miranda and Kateland of Watertown; one sister, Linda (John) Stene of The Villages, FL; nephew, Shane (Yunita) Stene and their son, John James of Minneapolis, MN; two aunts and many cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Kay’s arrangements.