Michael "Mike" Edwin Canaday

November 21, 1945 - September 10, 2015

Michael “Mike” Canaday, 69, of Redwood Falls died Thursday, September 10, 2015 at home, surrounded by his loved ones. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 from Christ Victory Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls. Burial will be at a later date in Delafield Cemetery, rural Windom. Visitation will be held Tuesday, September 15, 2015 from 4 until 7 p.m., at Nelson-Hillestad Funeral Home in Redwood Falls and will continue on Wednesday at the church for one hour prior to services. Arrangements are with Nelson-Hillestad Funeral Service of Redwood Falls. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelson-hillestad.com. Michael Edwin Canaday, the son of Edwin and Lois (Kirkpatrick) Canaday, was born November 21, 1945 in Le Mars, Iowa. In 1949, the family moved to a farm south of Redwood Falls where Mike grew up. He received his formal education in Redwood Falls public schools and graduated from Redwood Falls High School in 1963. Mike relocated to Ghent in 1971 and returned to Redwood Falls in 1975. He served with the Minnesota National Guard from 1963 until 1969. On June 27, 1969, Mike married Patricia Jean Thorston at Sundown Lutheran Church near Springfield. They had two children, Karo and Jeremy, and later divorced. On December 10, 1977, Mike married Brenda Mattson in Windom and they made their home in rural Redwood Falls where Ryan and Haley were born. Mike worked as a sheet metal fabricator at Specialty Engineering and later ActiveAid, where he retired in January 2011. Mike loved farming, gardening and anything that involved being outdoors – which is where he felt most connected to God. In his spare time Mike enjoyed riding and repairing bicycles, riding motorcycles and four-wheelers. He had a passion for ice cream and black licorice. Mike cherished time spent with his grandchildren. He loved life, he loved his family and he loved God. He is survived by his wife Brenda of Redwood Falls; daughters Karo (S.) G. of Maple Grove and Haley (Kelsey) Canaday of Minneapolis; sons Jeremy (Jacquie) Canaday and Ryan Canaday, all of Redwood Falls; grandchildren Anthony Canaday, Z. G., Leah Maxson, Gregory Truso, Desmond Brown, Demarcus Brown, and baby-on-the-way; and sisters Elaine Willie of Las Vegas, Nevada, Geri (John) McPherson of Randolf, Kansas, and Barb (Bud) Robertson of Renville. Mike was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Carolyn. Blessed be his memory.