Kenneth Stewart

Click to view Ken's Funeral Livestreamed

Kenneth Eugene Stewart, 90, of Mobridge and formerly of Miller, passed away Sunday, August 18, 2024, at the Mobridge Regional Hospital, Mobridge, SD. 

Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church of Miller with Pastor Allison Galbreath officiating. Burial will follow at G.A.R. Cemetery in Miller.

Kenneth Eugene Stewart was born to Harry and Clara (Seeley) Stewart on May 18, 1934, in Glendale Township, Hand County, SD. He attended grade school in St. Lawrence, SD, and Pierre, SD, and graduated from high school in Pierre. He was married to BennaBee Elaine Rawstern on June 21, 1953, at the United Methodist Church in Pierre, SD.  Their marriage was blessed with five children.  

The family moved due to Ken’s jobs and lived in Topeka and Wichita, KS, and numerous places in SD including Pierre, Ft. Pierre, Onida, Miller, Brookings, Burke, St. Lawrence, Redfield, Spearfish, and moved back to Miller in 2007. Ken moved to Mobridge, SD, in 2021.  At the time of their wedding, Ken was working on the construction of the Oahe Dam on the Missouri River.

Ken loved hunting and camping but his passion in life was snowmobiling.  He was an advocate for the snowmobile industry, snowmobile facilities and trails and snowmobile users. He began his crusade to help create the SD Snowmobile Association (SDSA) in 1969.  He collaborated with legislators both state and federal, the SD Department of Game, Fish and Parks (SDGF&P), and with Governors Janklow and Mickelson.  He was one of the initial Executive Directors of the SDSA and was the first to introduce a Governor to the annual SDSA Governors ride and was an advocate for promoting and developing snowmobile tourism in SD including the nationally renowned Black Hills Snowmobile trail system. Ken was inducted in the inaugural class to the SDSA Hall of Fame in 1996.  He was honored with the National Snowmobiler of the Year award by the American Council of Snowmobile Associations and in 1996 was inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame.  He was also a proud member of the Iron Dog Brigade, an elite international honorary society dedicated to the fun of snowmobiling. He also accumulated an extensive collection of antique snowmobiles, snowmobile memorabilia, and the history of the snowmobile industry.  

He is survived by his children, Cenera (Bob) Davis, Custer, SD; Robert (Lisa) Stewart, Moorcroft, WY; Patti Stewart Dame, Mobridge, SD; Judy (Kendall) Swedeen, Pierre, SD; and Tod (Kimberly) Stewart, Hermosa, SD; brother-in-law, Eldon Rawstern, Miller, SD; nine grandchildren; fourteen great grandchildren; and nine step great grandchildren; in addition to many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, BennaBee; sister, Beverly (Lyle) Baade; his father, Harry Stewart; and mother, Clara Seeley; stepfather, Carl Wininger; son-in-law, Terry Dame; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Irwin and Clara Rawstern; brothers and sisters-in-law: Wayne (Mary) Rawstern and Leo (JoAnne) Rawstern; and numerous aunts and uncles. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be sent to the South Dakota Snowmobile Association, 605 Eric St, Gary, SD 57237

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