Kenneth (Ken) S. Prestegard, 68, of Owatonna

Kenneth (Ken) S. Prestegard, 68, of Owatonna, died Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015, at Homestead Hospice House. Ken was born Feb. 28, 1947, at the Owatonna Hospital to Ole Joe Prestegard and Helen E. (Moe) Prestegard.
Ken attended country School District 71 through the eighth grade, graduating from Owatonna High School in 1964. He married Anne Boyd in 1967 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Owatonna. Ken graduated from Mankato State in 1968 with a major in French and a minor in German. He taught French and German at Prior Lake and Austin High Schools before beginning a career in the farm equipment industry, first by managing the Badger Northland Distribution Center in Owatonna, then in 1978, he along with two partners bought the Badger Northland facility and developed a retail farm equipment dealership they named Northland Farm Systems. They survived the turbulent 80s, and in 1995 he purchased his partners’ shares of the business. He continued to own and operate Northland Farm Systems until an opportunity arose to sell the company in 2001. This allowed him to retire gradually while also allowing him to start a small hobby farm.  
Ken was on the church council at Aurora Lutheran Church and worked diligently at the Aurora Diner during the Steele County Fair. In 2006 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Steele Waseca Coop Electric, a job he thoroughly enjoyed for nine years. More recently he was elected to the Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA) board representing six rural electric coops at the state level. Ken was also a committee member of the Farm Service Association (FSA) for Steele and Waseca counties and enjoyed being a member of the Exchange Club of Steele County and the Sons of Norway.
Ken is survived by his wife of 48 years Anne (Boyd) Prestegard; three children Renee Lowery of Owatonna, Stephanie (Brian) McAleer of Savage, and Keith of Blooming Prairie; his sister Carolyn (Donald) Thorsen of Staten Island, New York; brother Allan (Bonnie) Prestegard of Pine Island; sister Jean (Jay) Hannon of Fairbanks, Alaska; grandchildren Grace, Hannah and Abbey McAleer and Alex Lowery; as well as many nieces and nephews. Ken was preceeded in death by his brother Orrin; parents Ole and Helen (Moe) Prestegard; in-laws Dr. Robert and Marcella (Johnson) Boyd; grandparents, aunts and uncles.
Ken’s interests were spending time with his grandchildren, hobby farming and antique tractors.
Funeral service will be Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Aurora Lutheran Church with Pastor David Hurtt and Pastor Paul Nelson officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Michaelson Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to the Aurora Lutheran Church or the Owatonna Public Library.