June 25, 1942 – February 5, 2022
Kenneth Leroy Rost, 79, passed away on February 5, 2022 surrounded by his family at his home in Spearfish after an 11-year struggle with Inclusion Body Myositis.
Ken was born in Dupree on June 25, 1942 to John and Violet (Ochsner) Rost. He grew up on the family ranch southwest of Isabel. He attended country schools and graduated from Dupree High School in 1959. At SD State University he studied Park Management and graduated in 1968. He was a member of the SDSU Rodeo Club and managed to extend his rodeo career through nine years of college with a few breaks to herd sheep.
He met the love of his life, Kathy Ingles, in 1961. After courting for four years, they were married June 5, 1965.
After graduation, Ken began his career with SD Game, Fish and Parks. He was District Park Manager in Pickstown and Yankton and Assistant Director of SD Parks in Pierre. Ken retired in 1984 and moved the family to Spearfish, where they bought K&K Rental. Ken and Kathy sold the rental business six years later and bought Serenity Corner Assisted Living. They sold Serenity Corner in 1995 and moved to a beautiful valley south of Whitewood, where they lived for 16 years. Ken was asked to come back to work for the State to manage the snowmobile trail system and help manage the construction of the Mickelson Trail system.
Ken loved exploring the Black Hills. He and Kathy would load the kids in lawn chairs in the back of the pickup and take off into the mountains to find another ghost town, cave, or some point of interest. Other favorite past times were camping, fishing, playing cards, Sudoku, doing anything with grandkids, and hunting with his brother-in-law Dallas and any kids they could get to go with them.
Ken was very creative. He was the author of two cowboy poetry books and enjoyed entertaining people at the High Plains Heritage Center and other venues. Growing up he was part of a dance band with his dad and brothers. Ken played saxophone and drums. They played at country schools and dance halls around the Isabel area. In high school he was part of a local band, The Comets.
Ken and Kathy travelled the U.S. for eight years in retirement and spent many great times with their special friends and grandchildren.
Ken and Kathy always took in any person that needed a family. They believed that life was about caring for others and living every day to its fullest. Ken came down with a deadly disease with no cure. He fought it with courage, determination and humor. Never complaining and always worried about others, he set a great example of how life should be lived.
Ken is survived by his wife Katherine of 56 years; children, Shawn (Susan) of Palm Springs, CA, Shanna (Leon) Sandidge of Whitewood, Tarita Silk of Sturgis, and Kaylene Rost of Spearfish; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; his mother, Violet Rost of Belle Fourche; brother, Curtis (Marilyn) Rost of Ellensburg WA; and sisters Marcia (Mike) Maher of Isabel and Sheri (Kent) Allen of Akron, IA.
He is preceded in death by his dad, John Rost; brother Denver Rost; grandparents; in-laws, Ralph and Lollie Ingles; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
A funeral service was held Friday, February 11, 2022 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Whitewood with interment in the Whitewood Cemetery. Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel of Spearfish was in charge of arrangements.
(Katherine Rost’s address is 430 Oriole Dr. Apt M6, Spearfish, SD 57783.)