Jeffrey L. Kegen

Jeffrey Lionel Kegen, age 63, of Boyceville, WI passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, October 8, 2022. Our family is deeply saddened by this unexpected loss. He was born on July 13, 1959 to Lionel & Mary (Harvey) Kegen. He was the oldest of four children, graduating from Boyceville High School in 1977.

On September 6^th, 1980, Jeff married Connye Hoppe and from this union, they were blessed with two children, daughter, September Lynn and son, Jared.

For nearly 30 years, Jeff has been employed at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center as a Yard Driver and Shipping Clerk. Jeff had a love of the land and his true passion was farming. He worked at a couple Implement Dealers in his early years, was a dairy farmer for several years and also visited area farms providing Dehorning & Castration Services.

Jeff was an active Dad and always attended sporting and 4-H events for his kids when they were younger. He was a Host Dad to several foreign exchange students throughout the years. Johanna from Germany, Conny & Ulli from Austria, Satoshi from Japan (Twice), and Aya also from Japan. He enjoyed teaching others and learning about other cultures and took the opportunity to visit all of the host students in their home countries. Jeff preferred to stay home but with a little coaxing, he could be persuaded to travel. He enjoyed traveling and has visited over 40 of the United States. Although some awesome memories were made on each trip, he was always happy to return home to family, friends, and the farm.

Jeff was a hard worker from sun up to sun down and never complained. He wouldn’t let the dark stop him from mowing the lawn with a flashlight in hand or a vehicle lighting up the garden to finish planting the flowers.

He was a selfless man who had a heart of gold and would put others needs before his own. Jeff will be remembered for being loving, kind, generous and giving. He always enjoyed visiting with people and helping others whenever he could and will be missed dearly by all those who were blessed to have known him.

Jeff is survived by his wife, Connye (Hoppe) Kegen; daughter, September Lynn (Kegen) Bessler; son, Jared Kegen (Tyla Langer); granddaughter, Mercedes Barstad and grandson, Micah Schaffner; father, Lionel Kegen; sister, Heidi Johnson; sister-in-law Tammy (Dave) Toll, brother-in-law Kevin Evenson and sister-in-law Cindy Hoppe; uncles and aunts, James (Anita) Harvey, Ardis (Jerry) Coomer and June (Ronald) Koenig; nephews and nieces, Timothy (Patrice) Kegen, Michaella Kegen, Katelyn (Max) Galloway, Rob (Allison) Johnson, Andy (Whitley) Johnson, Mason Johnson, Travis (Tiffany) Moe, Tatjana Pankonien, Turner Moe, Matthew Evenson and Melinda Evenson. He is further survived by special neighbor children, Owen, Avery, Emmett, Serenity, Collin, Braydan and the Berg kids, and also cousins, extended family and many friends.

He is preceded in death by his mother Mary Kegen; brothers Timothy and Michael (Dawn), five grandchildren in heaven, grandparents Charles (Agnes) Kegen, and Robert (Caryol) Harvey, fathers and mothers-in-law Phillip Hoppe and Alice and Billy Evenson; aunts and uncles, Marlys Kegen, Eunice (James) Plemon, Charlotte (Merlin) Burton, Lucille (Raymond) Hiben, LeRoy (Doris) Kegen and Wayne (Gloria) Lorenz.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, October 15, 2022 at Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie with a Visitation from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service.

To share a memory, please visit obituaries at www.olsonfuneral.com