Kenneth Roger Koskela

Kenneth Roger Koskela was born August 27, 1931 to Carl and Effie (Heikkinen) Koskela in Wolf Lake, Minnesota. He attended Wolf Lake School through the eighth grade and then farmed and ran a sawmill with his father. This is where his love of tinkering, fixing and working with his hands began.Ken joined the United States Air Force in 1951 and served until 1955. While home on leave when he was stationed in Texas, he met Roberta Guishard and they were married March 31, 1955. The couple lived for a time at Wolf Lake and later in California before returning back to Minnesota and settling in the north metro, where Kenny worked for Murphy Trucking Company.In 1969, Ken and Bobbi bought their farm near Sunrise, Minnesota, and moved there with their sons, Gary and Jeffrey. Along with farming, Ken operated a recycling business, which brought him around to many farms and businesses in the area and was the source of many friendships over the years.In the mid-1970s, Ken was severely burned in a recycling accident, but God spared his life. Shortly after that incident he heard the gospel message and received Jesus Christ as his personal savior under the ministry of Pastor Britt Downs of Sunrise Bible Church. Ken was baptized by Pastor Downs and joined the church, eventually serving as a deacon, Sunday school superintendent and in many other capacities. He later attended Faith Baptist Church in Stacy and most recently South Pine Baptist Church in Pine City.Kenny was active in the local chapter of Gideons International, a ministry that distributes Bibles around the world. He always had a Gideon New Testament with him and was ready to offer it to anyone who needed the Word of God. Ken was also quick to help neighbors, friends and church members wherever he was needed. His famous homemade Finnish bread brought nourishment and cheer to many hearts right up until he fell ill in March.Ken enjoyed many endeavors in his retirement years, including mowing ditches for the county, transporting cars for an auto dealer and working at McDonald’s. Kenny and Bobbi sold their farm about fifteen years ago and moved to rural Pine City, where they made many new friends. Kenny spent many happy hours tinkering in his garage, building lawn ornaments and mowing his lawn.Kenny was hospitalized with pneumonia twice in March and then returned to the Lakeside Health and Rehab Center in Pine City where he passed away on Sunday, March 26, 2017, at the age of 85.Ken is survived by his wife of 62 years, Roberta Koskela of Pine City; sons Gary (Terri) Koskela of Palmer, Alaska, and Jeffery (Wade) Koskela of North Charleston, South Carolina; 3 grandchildren: Heather Koskela, Jennifer Koskela and Jonathan Koskela all of Anchorage, Alaska; 1 great-grandson Michael Koskela of Anchorage, Alaska; brother-in-law Clayton Sandberg of Fredric, Wisconsin; and 3 nieces from Fredric, Wisconsin. He is also missed by a large family of brothers and sisters in Christ from the Sunrise and Pine City areas.He is preceded in death by his parents Carl and Effie Koskela; infant son Steven Koskela and sister Doris Sandberg.Pastors Dr. George Cable, David Stertz, Dennis Eng and James Rockensock will officiate funeral services for Ken: 11:00 AM on Monday (4/3/17) at Sunrise Bible Church in Sunrise with a time of visitation and reviewal 1 hour prior. Music will be provided by Todd Rockensock, Charlotte Wilcox and Laura Hanson. Casket bearers will include: Gerald Bjork, Timothy Donahue, Donald Hartzell, Jeremy Hall, Larry Sederstrom, Allen Sommers, Shane Stepp and Mark Tuhy. The interment will take place in Sunrise Cemetery with military honors provided by North Branch VFW Post #6424, North Branch American Legion Post #85 and the United States Air Force Honor Guard.Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Funeral and Cremation Service of Rush City - Olson Chapel. www.FuneralAndCremationService.com