In Memory

Ken Ostermiller

Ken Ostermiller


Kenneth E. Ostermiller (1948 - 2012)

Kenneth E. Ostermiller, 64, of Bozeman passed into eternal life on Oct. 4, 2012, following a valiant and courageous battle with cancer. He was born to Ben and Dorothy Ostermiller on April 26, 1948, in Billings, Mont. He grew up on a farm west of Billings and attended Elder Grove School and Billings West High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy following graduation from high school in 1967 and proudly served his country for four years. On Nov. 30, 1968, Ken married his high school sweetheart, Dianne Wagner, whom he met in his junior year English class. Thirty days later he reported for duty to the USS Oriskany, CVA-34, in Alameda, Calif., and made two deployments to the Tonkin Gulf during the Vietnam conflict. He worked on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, which he termed the most exciting place to work as that was where all the action was. Upon his discharge in 1971 Ken and Dianne moved to Bozeman. They were richly blessed with a wonderful son, Brandon, and two beautiful granddaughters who stole their "papa's" heart. His family was so important to him and he loved spending time with them creating lifetime memories. He was a loving husband, father and grandpa. Running was his passion but he also enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, traveling and target shooting.

Ken worked as an electrician for Facilities Services at MSU for over 34 years, until his retirement in December 2006. He enjoyed his career and the many friendships he made during that time and was a proud Bobcat fan.

Ken had a strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord was always there for him in the darkest of times. He was an active member of Resurrection Parish and was especially fond of being involved in the lay ministries and serving the Lord. He was a member of Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for 13 years and cherished the friendships of his brothers in Christ. As a member of the American Legion Gallatin Post 14 and a strong patriot, he welcomed any opportunity to serve veterans.

Ken is survived by his wife, Dianne; their son, Brandon; granddaughters, Charlotte and Sonora; mother, Dorothy (Eugene, Ore.); brother, Gary (Billings, Mont.); sisters, Cynthia (Mukilteo, Wash.) and Sheri Lee (Richard Kelleher) (Eugene, Ore.); nephew, Ben (Teri); and great-nieces, Madison, Kylie and Katie Ostermiller (Billings, Mont.). He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Donna Braun (Billings, Mont.) and two nephews, Jeff Braun (Teri) and Tegan of Kernersville, N.C., Randy Braun (Buffy) and Andrew and Emily of Middleton, Wis.; and a brother-in-law, Cal Wagner (Trudy) and Mike and Tessa Huff of Minnetonka, Minn. He was preceded in death by his father, Ben Ostermiller.