Kenneth "Dean" Hartley

Kenneth “Dean” Hartley, age 93, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on March 13, 2025, surrounded by his family.

Son of Mildred (Foss) and Raymond Hartley, Dean was born on June 13, 1931. After graduating from Austin High School in 1950, Dean joined the National Guard. He started working at the Hormel Corporation on December 8, 1950. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a Corporal in Korea from 1951-1953. Dean then returned to Hormel and worked there for 33 years before retiring.

Dean married Alice Sipple on May 1, 1956, at St. Theodore’s Catholic Church in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Their marriage was blessed with six children. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. They lived in Austin, Minnesota for many years with many vacations taken to Northern Minnesota for fishing trips. Eventually, after retirement, the couple moved to their lake home on Horseshoe Lake in Backus, MN. They lived there for several years before returning to Austin, Minnesota in 2012. Besides fishing, hunting, and the outdoors, Dean also enjoyed working in his shop. He enjoyed carpentry and was always willing to lend a hand when someone needed help with a building project. Dean was also mechanically inclined and liked repairing engines, along with designing and building new inventions to solve any problem he encountered. He will also be remembered for his quick wit and storytelling. Ask any relative and they will likely remember a joke or story he shared. He was a long-time member of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Austin.

Dean is survived by his wife, Alice; sisters, Barb Prantner and Beverly Prantner; children, Susan (Ron) Karwoski, Kriste (Gary Brown) Lewis, and Renee (Russ) Farrell; seven grandchildren, Kenneth Karwoski, Colleen Karwoski, Kimberly Warrington, Benjamin Lewis, Bradley Lewis, Joseph Lewis, and Troy Farrell; several great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. Dean was preceded in death by his parents; stillborn son, Rodney; sons, Randall and Raymond Hartley; grandson, Thomas Lewis; brothers, Nolan and Keith Hartley; and brothers-in-law, Emil and Edward Prantner.

The family would like to express their gratitude for the phenomenal care provided by the Mayo Hospice Team and the staff at the Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Austin.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for Dean will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 21, 2025, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Austin, Minnesota, with Father Andrew Beerman officiating. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery, Austin. Worlein-Hoff Funeral Homes of Austin are assisting the family with arrangements.