Robert Mckenney

Rock Rapids, Iowa

     Robert McKenney age 92 years, 4 months and 16 days, of Brandon, SD died on April 28, 2024, at Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital in Rock Rapids.

     Visitation will be Wednesday, May 1st from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with family present at Peace Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, IA.  

     Funeral service will be at 1:30 PM, May 2nd at Peace Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, with Rev. Alex Sloter officiating.  Burial with full military honors will follow at the Riverview Cemetery at Rock Rapids.

     Robert Wayne McKenney was born December 12, 1931, on a farm near Inwood, IA the son of Cecilia (Baatz) and Wayne McKenney.  Bob was raised on his family’s farm near Inwood, IA where he attended country school.  He served his country in the United States Army from 1953 – 1955.  While in Korea he was a truck driver as part of the cease fire cleanup.  On December 18, 1963, he was united in marriage to Viola M. Riebeling at Peace Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, IA.  From 1963 until 1967 they lived near Canton, SD and for the majority of their life they lived on a farm near Rock Rapids from 1967 until 2023, when they moved to Brandon, SD.  After farming he worked as a fabricator at his brother’s welding shop in Beloit, IA and then at Sudenga Industries in George.  He was a member of Peace Lutheran Church where he had served on the church council.  He enjoyed feeding the birds, wood working, doing word searches and keeping track of snow and rainfall amounts and moon signs.

     He is survived by his wife, Viola McKenney of Brandon, SD; their children, Todd (Regina) McKenney of St. Joeseph, MO; Brenda Van Middendorp of Luverne, MN; Troy (Kim) McKenney of Belle Fourche, SD; 13 grandchildren, Heather, Robert, Melanie, Katie, Jessica, Daryl, Casey, Gloria, Nathaniel, Isaac, Andrew, Thaddaeus and Simon; 20+ great grandchildren; sister, Irene (Don) Oaks of Billings, MT; sisters-in-law, Laura Lee McKenney of Belle Fourche, SD and Wanda Riebeling of Alvord, IA.

     Robert was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Cecilia; siblings, Vince (Gladys) McKenney; Lawrence (Dorothy) McKenney; Marilyn (Bud) Trumbull; Leonard McKenney; Evelyn (Glenn) Homandberg; Roy (Andy) McKenney and Ralph (Sandy) McKenney.

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