Kent Ketelsen's Obituary
Kent D. Ketelsen, 71, of Clinton, died Monday, October 5, 2009 at Mercy Medical Center, North Campus, Clinton. Funeral Services will be 11:00am, Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Home and Crematory with Chaplain Horst Hehr officiating. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be members of the Clinton Fire Department. Visitation will be Friday from 4:00-8:00pm at the funeral home. Private interment will be at a later date in the Clinton Lawn Cemetery. Kent Dennis Ketelsen was born to Leonard and Lucille (Oliver) Ketelsen on December 11, 1937 in Los Angeles, California. He was married to Linda Swanson from 1963 to 2000. He later married Sharon (Smith) McDonnell on September 7, 2008 at the Butterfly Gardens in the Bickelhaupt Arboretum. Kent was a 1956 graduate of Clinton High School and attended Cornell College. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force serving from 1957 until 1960. Kent was a career firefighter with the Clinton Fire Department from 1965 until retiring as a Captain in 1999. He was a member of the Clinton Firefighters Association and the International Association of Firefighters Local 609. Kent volunteered with Meals on Wheels, the adult literacy program, enjoyed biking and walking, and loved birds and his cats. Kent is survived by his wife, Sharon; two daughters: Kristina (Ken Moraes) Ketelsen of Oakland, California, Danielle (Peter) Mascagni of Clinton, Iowa, one son: Kyle (Rebecca) Ketelsen of Sun Prarie, Wisconsin; four grandchildren: Marcella and Francesca Mascagni and Melanie and Benjamin Ketelsen; his twin brother: Keith (Beverly) Ketelsen of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Kent was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, and his sister: Vicki Murphy. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Clinton Humane Society.
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