Kittelson, Carleton Kaye "Corky" 1936 - 2021
KITTELSON, SANDEN, HJERLEID, WILLIAMS, BUGH, KAPELL, BALBOA, FRETHEIM, TROGE, WEIS, WILSON
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 3/11/2021 at 19:10:02
U.S. Veteran
Carleton Kaye Kittelson, age 84, of Decorah, Iowa, died Friday evening, February 26, 2021 at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, MN.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, March 5, 2021 at Decorah Lutheran Church with Rev. Peter Kowitz officiating. Burial will be in the spring in Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah.
The funeral on Friday will be livestreamed at: https://youtu.be/cCAK4HGCh6U
Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 4 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, and on Friday beginning at 10:00 a.m., one hour before the service, at Decorah Lutheran Church.
Carleton “Corky” Kaye Kittelson was born October 4, 1936 in Decorah, IA, to Gavin and Ethel (Sanden) Kittelson. He attended schools in Hesper and Decorah, participated in football, wrestling, and excelled at baseball, graduating from Decorah High School with the class of 1954.
On September 19, 1954 he married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Hjerleid. To this union was born the 5 R’s (Rhonda, Randal, Rochelle, Roxanne and Ryan). He enlisted in the Army January 1955-January 1958 and then worked in road construction for Bruening Rock Products and J.F. Pavlovec Rock Co. for many years until 1983, when he purchased and operated Iowa Dredging. In addition, he had a contract with the US postal service for many years.
Corky was privileged to be a president of the Decorah Viking Booster Club and was instrumental in such improvements as adding lights and dugouts at the baseball field and the first weight room at Decorah High School.
His interests included auctions and collecting antiques. He was a man of routine with a strong mechanical aptitude claiming, “I can fix anything but a broken heart”.
Cork was a strong, hardworking, demanding, yet tender hearted man whose love was portrayed as an act of service to his friends and family. He especially loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents Gavin and Ethel Kittelson, his son-in-law, Dr. Thomas Williams and his daughter-in-law, Suzanne (Pilgrim) Kittelson.
Carleton is survived by his wife, Sandra, and his children, Dr. Rhonda (Robert) Williams Bugh of Wheaton, Il, Rev. Randal Kittelson of Golden, CO, Rochelle (Robert) Kapell of Blue Grass, IA, Roxanne (W. Michael) Balboa of Newnan, GA, Ryan (Johanna) Kittelson of Decorah; 14 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren with an additional 3 on the way; his brother Harley (Patricia) Kittelson of Moline, IL, sister Shirley (Dean) Fretheim of Owatonna, MN, sister Gretchen (Darrell Bruening) Troge of Decorah; sister-in-law Caroline (James) Weis of Decorah, brother-in-law Homer (Renee) Hjerleid of Decorah and sister-in-law Betty Wilson of Decorah.
“So when tomorrow starts without me don't think we’re far apart,
For every time you think of me I’m right here in your heart.”
Resurrection awaits!
Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database
Lutheran Decorah Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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