Ken Ekelund of Luck, Wisconsin, passed away on Sept. 17, 2025.
He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1945 to the parents of Lester and Lillian Ekelund. He grew up in the Twin Cities, graduating from Central High School. He met his future wife, Maureen McCormick (Ekelund), while living on Summit Avenue in St. Paul. After high school, he spent a stint in the Army before getting married and returning to college to graduate from the University of Minnesota. Following his graduation, he enrolled in officer training school for the U.S. Coast Guard, where he was commissioned and stationed in Duluth, Minnesota. He and Maureen eventually moved to the Apostle Islands area of Wisconsin, where they raised three children. Ken retired from the Coast Guard and finished his career as a boat captain for the U.S. Park Service, performing maintenance on the grounds of the Apostle Islands.
Ken had a sense of adventure and loved being on the water. He built his first sailboat, which he lived on with Maureen for a summer. He also built their first house on the north shore of Lake Superior and then a cabin on the northeast end of Madeline Island. Besides spending time on the boats, he also purchased a farm outside of Washburn, which he ran with his family. He will be remembered as a man of faith and a devoted father. He is survived by his wife, Maureen, and three sons, Ben (Kristin), Tom, and Luke (Chelsea) Ekelund, as well as six grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at East Balsam Lake Baptist Church, 1816 108th St., Balsam Lake, WI 54810, on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 3 p.m. A visitation will be held beforehand at 2 p.m. with a reception to follow afterward. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alliance for the Great Lakes agency at greatlakes.org.
The Kolstad Family Funeral Home was entrusted with arrangements.
