With his boots on and his soul at rest, Kenny passed away peacefully on Friday, January 16, 2026, at a gate while going to check on his livestock. He was a beloved husband, devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather, an avid horseman, a man of the prairie, a steward of the land, a loyal friend and neighbor, and a faithful servant who has now found his eternal home in the arms of the Lord.

Kenny was born to William Meier and Mae Whalen Meier on November 14, 1944, in Mobridge, South Dakota, the middle child of three. He grew up on a farm north of Timber Lake. He attended Long Butte Country School, through the 8th grade, riding his horse to school most of the time. He then attended Timber Lake High School.

Growing up on the family farm, Kenny took an interest in horses at a young age and spent much of his youth helping on his parents' farm, working with his uncle Melvin "Mel" Meier and neighbor Mell Doran, riding and breaking horses and going to horse sales. He often reflected about trailing Mell Doran's horses in the late 1950's from north of Timber Lake to Mobridge with Jim Petersen and Dennis Hintz. He was a member of the Timber Lake Saddle Club, worked for Herb Bader at the Timber Lake Sale Barn and worked for Charles Mulloy building stock dams.

On November 15, 1964, he married Kathleen Holzer at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Timber Lake, South Dakota. They eventually settled on the former Frank Cundill homestead southwest of Timber Lake, in 1967. Together, they raised two children, Cindy and Kent. He approached each day and task with purpose, pride, and dedication in building a life devoted to his family, God, and community, meeting each success, challenge and hardship with grit, grace and steadfast Faith.

Kenny's life revolved around farming, ranching, raising black angus cattle and raising horses: saddle horses, work horses and a few bucking horses. These were not just his work – these played a big part in his identity. He had a sharp eye for good horses and if you wanted to ride, he could find a mount in his pen for any level of rider and take you for the ride of lifetime checking livestock on the prairie between the Moreau and Grand Rivers and telling stories.

He knew no stranger and would strike up conversations with people everywhere he went, exchanging phone numbers, and parting as friends. Many of these people would later return through the years to visit, camp and hunt. There were no short cuts in life. The money you made came from working hard and living honestly. He weathered through many storms throughout his 81 years, sticking to ways from an earlier time and being a relic of the past. Behind his stoic appearance and tough character, was an independent, kind and helpful man who enjoyed a humble and modest lifestyle.

He enjoyed horse sales, sometimes selling, often buying, and dragging these horses home for his kids to ride even when they preferred not to. If a horse needed miles on it, you quickly learned to plant yourself in the saddle and hang on for the ride because through his lens, if you got bucked off, you fell off. He broke a few work horses to drive in his day and used them for feeding livestock and to drive in weddings and parades. Breaking them to drive taught his wife and kids to 'be prepared for the most rugged ride, hanging on to whatever you could hold on to, for dear life.' He preferred using horsepower over ATV's when checking or working livestock, until the past few years when his mind finally caught up with his age and he realized his body was older than his mind let him believe. He kept a few saddle horses around and was able to ride until the very end.

He enjoyed tinkering with old things, old machinery, vehicles, fabricating horse-drawn equipment from old scrap parts and pieces, creating a round bale unroller and would try his hand at building/making things from old scrap parts and pieces. He enjoyed making tack / coat racks out of old horseshoes and old barnwood scraps and would gift them to benefits, family and friends. The last one he made, he donated to the Kristi Birkeland Benefit. We learned later that his vet, Alice Harty was the lucky bidder and brings our family comfort. He made several marble boards through the years for family & friends and the last one he made, he gifted to his niece Colleen at Christmas this past year. On Christmas Day when he played one of his most recent games, we learned some of the hole wells were a bit deep for the marbles, but with a little ingenuity and time, will be 'fixed to Kenny perfection.'

He had a mischievous and rascally side to him, often pulling pranks on close friends, telling wild tales about being a scout in the calvary, wild Big Foot stories, convincing people to sing the Campbell Soup jingle to win a lifetime supply of Campbell Soup. A few of his callers fell for the challenge and when he identified himself, a colorful response followed, and a smirk on his face. He was superstitious and wouldn't start big projects on Fridays.

He could temporarily "rig" things together into somewhat of a functional manner with a variety of accessible 'resources' such as vice grips, baling wire and twine string. When technology advanced its way into current culture, he never embraced it and stayed connected to friends and family through his trusty old model bag phone and then to a flip phone, saying that was all he needed to communicate, and often relying on others to take & send photos or order parts and repairs online for him.

Ken was an avid reader of books, western books, magazines and newspapers ranging from Louis Lamour and Zane Grey to The Western Horseman and the Tri-State Livestock News. He kept himself 'informed' through print media bypassing technology. He enjoyed listening to KBHB AM radio, The Action Line and Kesling's Gospel Hour on KOLY Radio.

Grateful for sharing his life is his devoted wife Kate, of 61 years, his children Cindy Lindskov and Kent (Joee) Meier. He is survived by five grandchildren, Kelsey (Matt) Menge, Justin Lindskov, Megan Meier (Colton Peterman), Morgan (Austin) Weyers, and Wyatt Meier; and two great-grandchildren, Elle Menge and Forrie Weyers, his sisters in law: Dorothy Keller and Judy (Dean) Linquist; nieces, Dency (Jammey Gabert & Bryce), Colleen Meier (Mersedes and Aidan) and Brandy Meier (Brayden, Adam, Andrew), Dyleen Meier (Merissa, Leigha and Jericka), Cheryl Meier, Tina (John Escobar & Molina), Candy Meier, and Patty Meier (Kacie and Kayle), Sherry Keller, and Amy Linquist Roe, Kelly Lipp-DeHaas and Tracy Lipp-Nichols; nephews, Bruce Keller, Scott Linquist, and Eric Linquist.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William & Mae Meier, brother Randy Meier, and sister Karen Lipp, son-in-law AJ Lindskov, brothers-in-law Val Keller and Fritz Lipp.

Please join us in celebrating Kenny's life on Sunday afternoon, June 7, 2026, from 12 – 4 PM at the Isabel Pavilion.