Kenneth Van Zee

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Kenneth Floyd Van Zee, 96, of St. Lawrence, passed away on Friday, April 3, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society in Miller.

Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Thursday, April 9, 2026, at the Community Church of St. Lawrence with Rev. Jim Hofman officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at the St. Lawrence Cemetery.  Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, followed by a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at the church.

Kenneth Floyd Van Zee was born on December 31, 1929, to John and Martha (Meyer) Van Zee in Armour, SD.  At the age of nine, they moved to a farm near St. Lawrence, where he attended school and graduated from high school in 1948.  Following graduation, he continued farming on the family farm until he was drafted into the US Army in 1952.  He served his country with a tour in Korea until he was honorably discharged in 1954.

Upon returning home, he married Geraldine “Jerry” Jeanette Jenkins on September 19, 1954.  They spent some time in Pierre, where he did door-to-door delivery for Tyler Dairy and performed lab testing for the State Department.  After a few years, they moved back to the family homestead to help on the farm.  In 1963, his parents, John and Martha, built a house just south of the highway, and Kenny and Jerry moved into the main farmhouse.  They milked cows there until 1996, when their son, Dean, started farming the land.  He continued helping on the farm and also helped transport bodies for Vince Rosemore.  Additionally, he worked for the Tom Morog farm, where he developed lifelong friendships with Tom and many others.  One of his favorite jobs was running the combine. He would help out Rod and Kenette, Dean and Sherrie, and Tom and Renee’s farms whenever he could.  In 2007, they moved to Miller and continued to help on their farms.  He was a lifelong member of the Community Church of St. Lawrence, where he attended until his passing.  Over the years, he served as an usher and on the Church Board.

Those blessed and grateful to have shared his life are his daughter, Kenette (Rod) Rogers, Ree Heights and his son, Dean (Sherrie) Van Zee, St. Lawrence; grandchildren include, Erin (Zach) Sybesma, Ree Heights, Samantha (Keeven) Long, Ree Heights, Nathan (Samantha Laskarzewski) Van Zee, Miller, Lucas (Kyra) Van Zee, Ellendale ND, and Mitchell (Mikayla) Van Zee, St. Lawrence; great grandchildren include, Sienna Long, Brooklyn Van Zee, Peyton Van Zee, Sadie Van Zee, and Jenna Van Zee; his sister, Verna Becker; sisters-in-law, Judy Mullen and Marlene Knudtson; nieces: Stacey (Jim) Ferry, Jody Sandoval, Dianne (Steve) Shaykett, Debbie Pullman, and Shirlene (Dennis) Smook; nephew, Bruce (Marie Bio) Knudtson; and many great nieces and nephews.

Kenny is preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Jerry; his parents, John and Martha; brother, Robert; in-laws, Dorcie and Marie Jenkins; brother-in-law, Lester Becker; nephew-in-law, Tim Pullman; niece, Cheryl Pease; and nephew-in-law, Dwane Pease.

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