Kenneth A. Falk

Kenneth Arnold Falk was born on January 4th, 1937 on the family farm near Murdock, MN, the youngest of three children born to August V. and Mamie A. (Anderson) Falk. He grew up on the farm and was an avid hunter and fisherman throughout his youth.
Ken attended college at St. Olaf in Northfield, MN earning his Bachelor of Arts majoring in foreign languages with a minor in mathematics. Upon graduation he worked a variety of jobs before joining 3M Company in 1966 in Minnesota, eventually being promoted to their international business division. This job provided him with the experience of traveling throughout the world for work and applying his knack for learning foreign languages.
Ken married Nancy Jean on June 30, 1962. They had one child, Deborah Ann Falk which prompted Ken to reevaluate his travel schedule demanded by international work. It was during this time that he felt called to the church and enrolled for his Masters of Divinity at the United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, MN.
Ken worked for the United Church of Christ, helming churches in Council Bluffs, IA and Tempe, AZ where he gave heartfelt and thought-provoking sermons. During this time, he officiated at hundreds of weddings, sat by hospital bedsides, and gave solace to others at the time of their passing.
Ken started his second life after his divorce when he moved to Nebraska to work as an interim minister at various churches throughout the state. Ken met Nancy Jones in January of 1997 in Ainsworth, NE at a Superbowl party and they started dating not long after. They were married November 15th, 1997 in the presence of their family and friends. They were married 25 years this last November, celebrating their silver wedding anniversary in the midst of Ken's illness.
Ken loved to travel, and he and Nancy took trips throughout the United States, especially to visit friends and family. Ken and Nancy also loved gardening and established Kanberry Farm together to sell their produce and jams and jellies. Ken was a doting grandfather, attending as many sports activities, concerts and school plays in Chicago as he could and could always be found with his camera around his neck to capture the moments. He was an avid card player and loved playing canasta with Nancy and the grandkids for hours on end.
Ken had many hobbies throughout his life. He could play piano by ear and was an avid painter and charcoal artist. He loved leatherworking, silversmithing, fishing, and hunting. He wrote a book called The Healing of a Wounded Soul with his friend, Warren Hoffman and was in the process of writing a second book that contained his philosophy on religion and the human condition.
Ken passed in the early morning hours of December 10th, 2022 just a few weeks shy of his 86th birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Wendell. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Falk of Ainsworth, NE and her children Brad (Dana) Jones of Wichita, KS and Sherri (Kent) Hiser of Shenandoah, IA and four grandchildren: Kyle, Chase, Griffin, and Amelia. He is also survived by his sister Jeanne Johnson of Alamogordo, NM; his daughter Deborah Walters, her husband Alan, and grandchildren Alexis and Luke of Chicago, IL; brother-in-law, John (Terry) Stech of Fredricksburg, VA, along with nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service was held on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at the Hoch Funeral Home in Ainsworth. Ken’s family members officiated at the service. The CD Selections played included: “In The Garden” by Alan Jackson, “Lord Of The Dance” by The Irish Tenors and “Thank You World” by The Statler Brothers. Memorials were suggested to the family in Ken’s name for a future designation. Inurnment will be held at a later date in the Bethesda Lutheran Cemetery at Murdock, Minnesota. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hochfuneralhome.com .