Kenneth Duane Levos

Kenneth "Ken" Levos, 76, passed away unexpectedly on March 16, 2022 at his home in Rochester, MN. Ken was born November 16, 1945 to parents, Obed and Gerda (Remmereid) Levos in Tilden, Nebraska. He grew up on his parents' farm in Albion, Nebraska, where he attended school, graduating from Albion Public High School in 1963. After high school, Ken attended the University of Nebraska, where he graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. Ken met Karen Fowler during high school and they married on March 31, 1964 in Wausau, Nebraska. They first lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, where Ken worked for the University while working towards his degree and after graduating. The couple later moved to Minnesota, first to Spring Grove and then to Rochester where they still have their home. Ken worked a number of different jobs during his career, all involving farming and agriculture. He taught agriculture classes to high school students, first in Spring Grove and later in Byron. Ken also worked for Moorman's Feed Company, where he became a district manager, which brought the family to Rochester in 1974. Most of his career, however, was spent as a loan officer with Ag-Star, retiring in 2014 after over 20 years of service. Ken's life was centered around his relationship with God and his commitment to family. He loved his wife, children, and grandchildren unfailingly, somehow managing to be available whenever any of them needed him. Ken and Karen also provided a stable, nurturing home to over fifty foster children in their 17 years as foster parents in Olmsted County. Ken was an active member of Calvary Evangelical Free Church, where he could be found leading a children's lesson, ushering during the service, counting the offering monies, shoveling snow, or doing just about anything that was needed. Another longstanding love of Ken's was repairing small engines, fixing cars, and restoring tractors. Basically, he was good at figuring out how to make things work. Another cornerstone of his life was supporting small family farms, including being one of the primary leaders in organizing the Country Breakfast on the Farm, an annual event during Rochesterfest. Ken is survived by his wife, Karen; his children, Kevin Levos, Kori (Gib Dungan) Skidmore, Kip (Kali Vreeman) Levos, Kristopher Levos, and Kaia (Brandon) Chalstrom; grandchildren Olivia, Carter, Aaliyah, Zayne and Kaidon; and his sister, Ranell (Michael) Johnson of Lincoln, Nebraska. Ken was preceded in death by his parents and by the "brother of his heart", Gaylord Halverson. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Monday, March 21, 2022, at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rochester, MN. The visitation will be at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes from 3 PM-6 PM on Sunday, March 20, 2022, as well as one hour before the memorial service at the church. The inurnment will be held at a later date at West Blue Cemetery in Milford, Nebraska. Memorials are asked to be directed to the family for future designation. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Levos family, to share a special memory or condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com