Kenneth E. Carpenter

BAGLEY – Kenneth E. Carpenter, age 79, of Bagley, passed away on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at his home surrounded by his family. He was born on June 26, 1946, in Madison, the son of Edward D. and Esther Pauline Louise Bultman. Ken graduated from Cassville High School in 1964. He worked in pest control for forty years. On May 26, 1996, Ken was united in marriage to Jan Esser in Prairie du Chien. Ken’s hobbies included hunting, fishing, rendezvousing, and shooting pool. He also enjoyed woodworking, stone carving and leather work. Many carvings included effigy pipes in stone and walking sticks. Ken also made jewelry from deer antlers, small birch containers to hold wishes and dreams, leatherwork included shirts, pants, and moccasins. Ken’s creativity also led him to create creatures out of bones to challenge your imagination. He also enjoyed drawing cartoon animals in his notebooks. Ken documented many of his trips to the boundary waters, years of hunting, and forty years of dealing with the public in his pest control business. Handwritten journals document his adventures to South America, Central America, the Philippines, Europe and his favorite, Ireland. His favorite gun was a smoothbore .56 caliber flint lock muzzle loader that he built himself, taking seven deer seven years in a row. He won first place in the Kansas City Open in 1991 shooting contest. It was a crowning achievement for him. Ken was gifted with energy and optimism which allowed him to look adversity in the eye and he depended on his faith to get him through each day. Ken’s true love was living in a log cabin he built himself surrounded by nature listening to the crackling of the wood stove. With sheer determination he cut the trees, barked and limbed them to build that log cabin. Ken lived his life as a reflection of his passions. He will be greatly missed.

Survivors include his wife, Janet; his daughters, Lara Bosley and Sarah Seifert; three granddaughters: Holly, Caroline and Katie; a grandson, Cole; siblings: twin sister and womb mate, Karol, Jean, Joan and Mary and brother, Lee; in-laws, his four-legged friend, Princess, other relatives and many friends.

In addition to his parents, Ken was preceded in death by a sister, Lois.

A Celebration of Ken’s life will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at Lucky’s Bar & Grill in Bagley. Kramer-Grau Funeral Homes & Crematory in Bloomington is entrusted with his care.