Carolyn Kay Engelke, age 89, of Spring Valley, Minnesota, died Friday, October 2, 2026, at Spring Valley Living in Spring Valley, Minnesota.
She was born on March 12, 1937, to Wilbur and Esther (DeLong) Stewart in Orient, Iowa, and attended and graduated from Perry High School in Perry, Iowa. Kay was united in marriage to Richard J. Engelke at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 9, 1954. “Kay” was a lab technician working together with her husband at the dairy laboratory that they owned in Wadena, Minnesota. They later moved to Luverne, Minnesota, where Kay worked for the University of South Dakota in their Virology Lab. She retired in March 2001. She was a life member of the VFW Auxiliary and served as treasurer of the Luverne Senior Citizens for eight years. Kay enjoyed reading, counting cross stitch, pinochle, spending time with her family and going on trips with her husband.
She is survived by her children;Lynn (Jon) Haugan of Preston, Minnesota, Raymond Engelke of Wisconsin, and James (Julie) Engelke of Lindstrom, Minnesota; 10 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, son William, great-grandson Gavin, a brother, Paul, and a sister, Betty Jean.
Services will be held at a later date.
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