Loren Lawrence “Curly” Penning, 86, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 21, 2014 at the Dells Nursing and Rehab Center. His Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at St. Mary Catholic Church, Dell Rapids. Visitation will begin at noon with the family present at 5:00 p.m. and the Christian Wake service will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at Kahler Funeral Home. Condolences may be left at www.kahlerfh.com.
Loren was born on October 11, 1927 in Dell Rapids, SD, to Nicholas and Elizabeth (Kirpes) Penning. He married Dorothy Schnieders on June 23, 1955. Together they raised three girls on a farm just north of Dell Rapids. Loren also did custom shelling and haying. They moved into Dell Rapids in the spring of 1986. Loren worked as a hired man for Larry and Ada Jorgenson until his health would no longer let him do this.
Loren was an amazing woodworker. He built many beautiful pieces of furniture for family and friends over the years. He worked hand in hand with his daughter, Linda, until she passed away. He was an avid gardener and couldn’t wait each spring to get out there and plant. He enjoyed sharing his produce with his neighbors. He loved polka music and never missed a polka dance. He loved watching baseball and was always cheering for the Cardinals. Loren had a special place in his heart for his grandchildren and great grandchildren and he lit up each time he saw them. He enjoyed taking them farming, pocket gopher hunting and shelling corn.
Loren moved into the Dells Nursing and Rehab Center in March of 2013. He enjoyed spending time with his roommate Alan and helping plant a garden for the nursing home.
Loren was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Dorothy, his daughters, Nancy and Linda and his siblings, Vernon, Nick, Gary, Connie and Maxine and many in-laws.
Those left to cherish his memory are his daughter, Betty (Paul) Gunn of Watertown; son-in-law, Jerome Kubal of Carrington, ND; his grandchildren, Chris (Kris) Kubal of Keene, ND, Jess (Cody) Wolf of Dickinson, ND, Tracy (Tony) Klein of Dell Rapids, Angie and Casey Kubal of Dickinson, ND, Shane (Lizzie) Gunn of Orlando, FL and Zach Gunn of Brookings; his great grandchildren, Sawyer, Beckett, and Bowen Wolf, Madisyn and Lennyx Klein; his brothers, Terry (Sharon), Melvin (Jeanette) and Elmer (Peggy); his sisters, Delores (Hank) Burggraff, Bernice Stensland, Alice (Joe) Burggraff, Vera (Bernard) Burggraff and Karon Penning; his brother-in-law, Jerome (Helen) Schnieders and his sister-in-law, Darlene Schnieders and special people, Brenna and Miranda and his many nieces and nephews.