Kenneth G Duncan

Kenneth G. Duncan, 87, a retired farmer, rancher and World War II Veteran, died of natural causes on May 19, 2013 at the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell.  Services will be held on May 26, at the First Presbyterian Church in Conrad at 11 a.m. A reception will be held at the Conrad Moose Lodge immediately following and at 2 p.m., the funeral party will depart for Dupuyer for interment in the Dupuyer Cemetery at 3 p.m., where Ken will be put to rest.

Ken was born in Conrad on May 12, 1926 to Oscar W. Duncan and Hermine Elizabeth (Minnie) Kallner Duncan. Ken was the eighth of 12 kids. He attended numerous country schools, including seventh through ninth grade in Conrad. He then transferred to Chester High School where he graduated in 1944.

He entered the Army in March 1945. By the time he finished basic training, victory was declared in Europe. He reported to Camp Gordon, GA, for additional training but by the time his training had ended at Camp Gordon, the Japanese had surrendered. Thereafter he was sent to Fort Ord, CA, where he was processed and sent to Korea. He was assigned to an engineering unit in Korea for six months and then reassigned to the Quarter Master unit in Seoul, Korea until he was released from the military in December 1946.

Ken returned from Korea, where he started dating Dorothea (Dot) Thomas of Pendroy. Ken married Dot on Aug. 24, 1947 at her parents place east of Pendroy. He delivered mail for a time in the Ledger area; then worked for Ted Hawley of Conrad. Thereafter, Ken and Dot farmed with her father on the Pendroy bench until 1956 when they moved five miles west of Dupuyer where they ranched from 1956 until Dot’s death in 1990.

Dot and Ken had three children, Sherri Donovan, Terry Dougherty and Greg Duncan. Ken served two terms as Pondera County Commissioner. He was a member of the Conrad Moose Lodge, the Masons and the VFW. Ken had also served on the Dupuyer School Board and then beginning in 1970 he served on the Valier High School Board. Ken loved to play cards, hunt and loved being outdoors with his cattle and livestock. While serving on the Pondera Hospital Board he met Jeannie Farrar of Conrad.

On Sept. 2, 1995, Ken and Jeannie were married. They resided at 326 Sixth Ave, SW in Conrad until they moved to “The Springs”, a retirement community in Whitefish in December 2012.

Ken fell ill in February 2013 at which time he was admitted to the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell where he was receiving physical therapy and rehabilitation services. He passed away on May 19 with his family present.

Ken is survived by his wife, Jeannie Duncan of Whitefish; daughters Sherri (Ken) Donovan of Condon and Terry (Pat) Dougherty of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and his son Greg Duncan (Tammie Klinker) of Helena. He is also survived by his step-children, Shirley (Jon) Kronebusch of Conrad and Steve Farrar of Billings.

He has nine grandchildren: Kena (Pete) Krona of Kalispell; Shawnia (Dave) Taylor of Monroe, La.; Kimberly Ross of New City, N.Y.; Brian Donovan (Holly Behm) of Dillingham, Alaska; Sean (Crystal) Donovan of Kalispell; Lindsay (Ben) Heiken of Broadview; Roberta Kronebusch of Bozeman; Callie Farrar of Billings and Devon Farrar of Billings; as well as 14 great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by his sister, Ora Bucher of Conrad; and brothers Earl (Linda) Duncan of Conrad and Bert “Bud” (Barbara) Duncan of Great Falls; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded death by his brothers Maynard Duncan of Kalispell, Lyle Duncan of Cut Bank, and Delwin Duncan of Anchorage, Alaska; and sisters, Laveave Duncan Miller Hammon of Dupuyer, Alice Iversen of Conrad, Gladys Griggs of Conrad, Annabelle Forrester of Wisconsin and Marjorie Prindle of Lakeside.