Ken Speltz

Kenneth Eugene Speltz, born July 23, 1942, was a devoted husband, father, friend, and veterinarian.  He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Jayne Speltz, who was by his side when he passed away unexpectedly at home on February 15, 2023.  He had four children, Ryan (Molly) Speltz, Renee (Christopher) Schwartz, Karen (Cory) Mathews, and Kevin (Brittany) Speltz; and a baker’s dozen of grandchildren: Anna, Nathan, Tabitha, Evan, Julia, Jeffrey, Edwin, Grant, Easton, Addilyn, Maria, Matthias, and Jameson.  He will be missed by many loved ones and all his fluffy friends, including his two active golden retrievers, Murphy and Laddie; and his two kitties, big boy Rocky and Ginger (aka The Blade).   

Ken never liked to sit still, and he would laugh at you if you asked him when he was going to retire.  At 80 years old he loved medicine and still practiced at Skyline Veterinary Hospital (which he started in 1970) a few times a week.  He served as a board member for the Affiliated Emergency Veterinarian Service for multiple years throughout his career.  He truly loved his clients and the pets he treated.  In the words of a client: “If pets who cross the Rainbow Bridge run to see the vets who cared for them, Dr. Ken will be bombarded with love.”   

If he wasn’t at the clinic, you’d often find him working the farm: driving around in the gator to the garden, feeding cattle, or tinkering on his tractors and equipment out in the barn.  Ken could fix, repair or refinish almost anything, and he taught those skills along with the value of hard work to his children.    

He was also an avid sportsman who loved fishing and hunting.  His favorite seemed to be fishing though, and he always liked to brag how he would have the “hot hole” while ice fishing.  If you weren’t catching fish, you “weren’t holding your mouth right.”  You would frequently hear him yelling “here fishy fishy” or “get the net!” even if it was a little itty bitty perch.            

He was a man of Catholic faith and Sundays were a special day; he made breakfast after church so Jayne didn’t have to cook.  Polka music would always be playing in the background.  He loved tossing the ball with his kids, watching the Minnesota teams play (Twins, Vikings, Gophers, etc.) or hanging out on the patio watching his grandkids (whom he always teased were “woozles”).  He was king of the grill for Sunday night dinners and all the family would gather around.  2-4-3 Dadoe!