Kenneth Micko Obituary Kenneth C. Micko, 100, of East Gull Lake, beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather, and great great grandfather, died peacefully on Friday, February 17, 2023, at home surrounded by loved ones. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, May 1, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at All Saints Catholic Church in Brainerd. A time of visitation will be on Sunday, April 30th from 3-5:00 p.m. at Nelson-Doran Funeral Home also in Brainerd and for one hour prior to Mass at the church. Interment will be on Tuesday, May 2nd at 11:30 a.m. at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights. Born August 24, 1922, in St. Paul, MN, to Charles and May (Kreuz) Micko, Ken attended St. Marks Catholic Elementary, Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary, his senior year at Cretin High School, and two years at St. Thomas College. Ken credited his older sister Lorayn for teaching him to dance as an adolescent, convincing him that pro football players took dance lessons to improve their coordination. He met the love of his life, Doris Stassen, at a high school dance when he was 17 and she 15. He loved telling what a great dancer she was and how lucky he felt to get a spot on her always-full dance card. Ken joined the El Torez Club, which started in high school and met 4 times a year for dinners and dances; he was a member for more than 75 years. He and Doris married on May 27, 1944, while he was on military leave and raised 4 children in Nativity parish. To his family, Kens military service made him a hero, though he humbly disagreed. In 1942, at 20 years old, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp. Stationed in England, he co-piloted a B-24 bomber, flying 20 WWII bombing missions. On his last mission, hit by anti-aircraft, Ken bailed out of the burning plane and parachuted into downtown Berlin. He was a POW until the war's end. While he copied poems in his journal, Doris, whod just given birth to their first child when she received a telegram that Ken was MIA, awaited word that he was alive. It came in the form of a letter written in German that she had to have translated. Later in life, Ken wrote about his extraordinary WWII experience, granted interviews, presented at veterans roundtables, and spoke eloquently about it at his 100th birthday party. Despite what Ken endured, he unfailingly focused on the positive, thanking "the good Lord for all Hes done, all Hes given me." Like a made-for-Hollywood romance, Kens marriage to Doris was one for the ages. At times, their lifelong devotion looked glamorous; they renewed their wedding vows at a 50th anniversary ceremony and then cut a rug to big band music at a country club reception. At others, it looked ordinary; Ken fixed Doris a bowl of cereal with fresh fruit every morning for decades and fed her breakfast in bed for her last 3 years. Ken and Doris danced through 68 years of marriage together, with Ken doting on Doris until her death parted them in 2013. Kens career was also long and productive. After the war, he worked for Brown & Bigelow from 1945 to 1965, managing the specialty advertising division; joined Bann Inc as vice president of sales from 1965 to 1975; and in 1976, started a business partnership, Liberty Looseleaf, where he worked until his retirement at 75 years old. Ken derived great joy from lake life. In 1967, they bought a cabin on Gull Lakes gold coast and in 1976 replaced it with a house. He put a lot of love into the place. He enjoyed entertaining, and generations of visitors memories were recorded in his Lake Log. In 55 years there, Ken fished, sailed, water skied, swam, and captained countless boat rides. His grandkids cherished their summer vacations at the lake, and Ken spoiled them with ice cream cones and golf outings. Ken loved family games, especially cribbage seated at the head of the table, always using red pegs on the outside track. When he won, hed rib, "Did you learn anything?" In later years, he treasured sitting on his deck, looking out on the lake at the boats and beautiful sunsets. A handsome ad model in his prime, Ken was a constant role model throughout his life, exemplifying kindness, strength, and generosity. He had a gift for making others feel special, striking up conversations and exchanging friendly banter everywhere he went. His long-term sobriety inspired others. He delivered Meals on Wheels in his classic Lincoln Continental in his 70s and 80s. A devout Catholic, he attended weekly mass and said grace before every meal. He never missed a Vikings game nor turned down an invitation to golf with his buddies. He had a legendary sweet tooth and ate every dessert offered, but none surpassed the simple satisfaction he took from a cold glass of milk and a chocolate chip cookie. Family and friends will miss his warm hugs and cheek kisses and his hearty handshake greetings. Family topped Kens list of many blessings, and they knew it because he spared no opportunity to tell them. Atop a large family portrait he hung a sign gifted from a grandson that reads, "All because two people fell in love." Ken is survived by his children Diane Engen, Susan Solberg, Jeffrey (Bonnie) Micko, Cynthia Nelson; grandchildren Kathleen (Steven) Rotenberger, Nathan (Amy) Engen, Jennifer Schnaedter, Benjamin Nelson, Derek Micko, Adrian Nelson, Emily (Andrew) Krueger, Megan (Aaron) Benson, Gabriel (Erin) Watson; 12 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, sister Lorayn (Donald) Pinochi, grandchild Travis Solberg, and son-in-law Robert Engen. The family thanks Good Neighbor Home Health Care, Baywood Home Care, and St Croix Hospice for their compassionate care.