Duane "Dewey" Kiehl

Duane Kiehl was born on February 26, 1960, in Detroit Lakes, MN, to Theodore and Alice (Lundeen) Kiehl. He was one of five children who grew up on the farm, just north of Detroit Lakes, where at a young age he would run a trap line before school and check it after. What he caught he would sell for his spending money. His dad and brother-in-law Vernon taught him his love for hunting and fishing, which carried through his adulthood. He attended Detroit Lakes High School and was a member of the FFA. During high school, he worked at Gas Port Truck Stop, pumping diesel and gas for vehicles, and doing minor mechanical work. 

After high school, Duane worked for Hough Gravel for a bit before moving to North Pole, Alaska, where his brother Donald and sister Donna live. He worked for his brother at Kiehl Welding from 1979-1981 repairing CAT tracks for the North Pole Slope Oil Fields. He moved back to North Dakota where he worked 30 plus years at Crary Industries in West Fargo, before retiring early. 

In 1979, he met Donna Battagler, through his cousin, at a gathering in Detroit Lakes. After dating for a couple years, they were married in 1983 in Fargo, ND. They have two children, Melanie and Daniel and four grandchildren, Jaylesn, Kaven, Hudson, and Dekard.

Duane was an avid outdoorsman. From elementary school, trapping in the pond at the farm to his last hunting trip in Nebraska with his son. Anything that had to do outdoors, Duane was the first one there. He loved having gatherings from fish fries to hayrides (after convincing his sister Judy to have tham) with family and friends. He loved to cook whether it was a big meal for friends and family or just for his wife. Duane had a huge garden which he took pride and joy in every year. He thoroughly loved to can everything and anything. If you stopped by in the fall you wouldn't leave empty handed, whether it was fresh produce from his garden or canned goods. His garage was a popular spot with his co-workers, his children, his friends, his children's friends and neighbors. Duane was a kid at heart and always had freezee pops and popsicle in his freezer for the neighborhood kids, his grandchildren and even himself. He loved building, fixing, tinkering, pretty much anything except if it had to do with wood. Most days you would find him in his garage building, fabricating, fixing, or tinkering on anything to keep him busy.

Grandkids were his pride and joy. He especially loved it when they were old enough to go fishing at his cousin Kenny's on the pontoon for sunfish or any fish. He loved visiting with this grandkids. He loved their stories and their expressions when telling stories. He loved summer months with the grandkids because they would come over and swim in his pool (which was his pride and joy also). He loved how excited they were to swim.

Duane didn't sugar coat anything and made his opinions known, like it or not, which was one of his best qualities. He was a great conversationalist; his stories are ones for the books. He thoroughly enjoyed everyone that stopped by to visit and listen to his stories.

Duane is survived by his wife, Donna of 38 years; daughter, Melanie (Michael) Peterson, Rochert, MN; son, Daniel, Fargo, ND; grandchildren, Jaylesn, Kaven, Hudson, and Dekard; sisters Carol Hanson, Detroit Lakes, MN; Judy Block, Detroit Lakes, MN; Donna Wiese, North Pole, AK; father-in-law Billy Battagler; brother-in-law Jerry (Beverly) Battagler, both of Hunter, ND; sister-in-law Darla (Kim) Burich, Strugis, SD; brother-in-law Dan Anagnost, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. 

He was preceeded in death by his parents; brother-in-law Vernon Block; brother Donald Kiehl; mother-in-law Dalene “Tootie” Battagler; and sister-in-law Susan Anagnost.