Kenneth D. Nygaard, age 85 of Baldwin, WI, died on Monday morning, March 21, 2016 at the Park View Home in Woodville, WI. Ken was born October 26, 1930 in River Falls WI to parents Oscar and Hilda (nee Peterson) Nygaard. Ken attended Woodville Elementary and the Birchdale School before graduating from Baldwin High School with the Class of 1948. Ken would marry his high school sweetheart, Patricia Edwards, on November 3, 1951. Their union in marriage would be blessed with two children, three generations of grandchildren, and over 64 years of love and devotion to each other.

Ken worked at Sears in Minneapolis before enlisting in the United States Army, where he was stationed in Alabama until his departure to Germany. In October of 1953, upon returning from the service, Ken began farming on Patricia’s home farm. He would retire from farming in 2000. In his free time, Ken loved to go bowling, play bingo, and play card games, whether it was 500, euchre, cribbage, or blackjack. Ken also enjoyed raising hydrangeas, as well as working around the yard and in the garden. He served on the Gethsemane Lutheran Church Board of Trustees and Board of Deacons, the Ellsworth Creamery Board for ten years, and was an active member of the Baldwin American Legion Post 240, serving as their Treasurer for 35 years.

Ken also enjoyed cruises and traveling, and together with Pat, they visited many states across the US. The longest cruise they went on was through the Mediterranean, that included destinations of Rome, Corsica, Monaco, Nice, Spain, Lisbon, and Casablanca. They enjoyed cruises to the Mexican Riviera, the Panama Canal, and Alaska, and visiting many islands on Carribean cruises. Ken and Pat also toured Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, as well as England, Holland, France, Germany and Switzerland.

Ken is survived by his wife of 64 years, Pat; his children, Steven (Margene) Nygaard, and Marsha (Mike) Nadeau; grandchildren, Brian (Amy) Nadeau, Jason (Sasha) Nygaard, Brad Nadeau, Jill (Kevin) Karnes, Ben (Laura) Nadeau, Jeremy (LeAnne) Nygaard, and Justin (Joelle) Nygaard; great-grandchildren, Maya (Robert Edwards) Nadeau, Brenan Nadeau, Evan Nadeau, Ari Garcia, Owen Nygaard, Ethan Nadeau, Sean Nadeau, Gavin Karnes, Colton Karnes, Carter Nadeau, Greysen Nadeau, Marin Nygaard, Cade Nygaard, Kyler Nygaard, Bram Nygaard, Brogan Nygaard, and Hadley Nygaard; great-great-grandchild, Myles Edwards; brother, Ole (Bette) Nygaard; sister-in-law, Audrey (Ivan) Iverson; as well as many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Hilda; and parents-in-law, Everard and Verna Edwards.

Funeral Services for Kenneth Nygaard will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday, March 29th at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 1350 Florence Street in Baldwin, WI. Burial will follow at the Baldwin Cemetery, with military honors provided by Baldwin American Legion Post 240. Ken’s grandchildren will serve as his honorary pallbearers. Visitation will take place one hour prior to services at the church, and also from 4:00-7:00pm on Monday, March 28th at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 1010 Newton Street in Baldwin, WI. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Gethsemane Lutheran Church, American Legion Post 240, or to the discretion of the family. Services have been entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Countryside Crematory of Baldwin, WI. 715-684-3434