Neil Hektner age 49, of Mitchell, died Sunday, September 23, 2007 at Avera Queen of Peace Hosptial. Funeral services will be held 10:30AM Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 PM Thursday at the Church with burial at a later date. Neil Craig Hektner was born to Ralph W. Hektner and Beryl (Goodspeed) Hektner in Fargo, ND on January 7th, 1958. He grew up in Moorhead, MN with his parents and three older sisters. He is preceded in death by his grandparents and several aunts and uncles. He is survived by his parents, his sisters, Dawn Jonas (Detroit Lakes, MN), Gail and Bill Fellers (Irvine, CA), Randee and D.W. Frommer (Bend, OR), many nieces and nephews, his wife, Kathy (Mitchell, SD), his daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons, Brooke, Michael, Ethan, and Aidan Carlson (Oakdale, MN), his son and sons fiance, Cole Hektner and Ashley Grosdidier (Fargo, ND), and his youngest daughter, Kari Hektner (Fargo, ND). Neil attended Oak Grove Lutheran High School where he played basketball, football, and ran track. He also sang with the concert choir and madrigal singers. Much of his summers were spent at his familys lake cottage on Big Cormorant Lake near Detroit Lakes, MN. The cottage was always and continues to be an important and special place for Neil and his family and friends. After graduating from high school, he attended Concordia College, also in Moorhead, where, while earning his Bachelors degree in business, he played football and was part of their 1978 national championship team. Neil was united in marriage to Kathleen Ann Maus on August 15th, 1980. Two weeks later, he began working for Combined Insurance as a sales representative and he and Kathy made their home in West Fargo, ND. During the following ten years, their family grew to five and Neil and Kathy and their three children moved to Mitchell, SD in April of 1990 where Neil became a District Manager for Combined. In 1995, Neil ended his career with Combined and became a first-aid/safety consultant and sales representative for Zee Medical Service where he worked until the time of his death. Throughout the many towns in which Neil worked, everyone recognized the big white van with the green Zee letters. He was well-liked and well-known, so much so that he was given the affectionate nickname Big Medicine Man. Of the many things important to Neil, his church was as high on the list as his family and friends. In fact, in most cases and at most times, they all went hand in hand. Joining Trinity Lutheran Church soon after moving to Mitchell, Neil and family became active members almost immediately. Neil was a member of the Praise Team, TTHO (the churchs hunting group), the Church Council, including a term as Council President, and a recurring actor as Peter in the churchs presentation of The Living Last Supper. He used his love and talent for cooking as organizer of the Easter Breakfast for many years and as lutefisk and lefse chef for the German/Norwegian festival. He also enjoyed using his interest in technology and gadgets for the benefit of the church by working on the churchs computers and sound system. One of the things that was most meaningful to him was that recently he, Kathy, and several of their church friends traveled on two separate mission trips to Biloxi, Mississippi to aid in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Neil truly lived his spirituality by demonstrating his beliefs in actions more often than words. He was a caring father, a loving husband, and a committed friend. Always there for anyone who needed him, he was a helper, a sounding board, and a mood-lightener for his children, wife, and friends. His love of family, friends, fun, and fellowship was evident in his everyday life and will never be forgotten.