Steve Ketelsen

At the end of August, Steve fell into a drained 12 foot deep drain tile well. In falling, he tripped over the pump, which tipped and caused the well to fill back in. He dislocated his hip, but was otherwise extremely lucky. He was stuck in the well for almost 2 hours and his temperature dropped to 88 degrees. He was literally within minutes of passing out when George Geerdes, a friend and neighbor, happened to see his truck. Had he not stopped, Steve would have likely drowned. Such a miracle is a blessing, but during recovery, a month later, he was, not surprisingly, overdoing it when he must have fallen and hit his head. This fall triggered a brain bleed. On Wednesday, September 28, he was rushed to Montevideo ER where he had a seizure and flatlined. He was airlifted to St. Cloud, was stabilized and has been in recovery since. The scans are showing positive signs. The EKG doesn't appear to show damage, but he is confused and loses his words. He knows what things are but cannot always find the right word. It will be some time before he is back to himself, but we are optimistic. Just wanted to start this page for updates as we know many of you care and would like to stay on top of his condition.


I cannot end this story without remarking on the amazing community of family and friends that have helped our family through this time. Harvest is the worst possible time for a farmer to be laid up. Thanks to so many amazing neighbors and friends who have taken time from their own harvest to help my dad. We love all of you.