Kenneth C. Bartz

Kenneth Chester Bartz, 73, passed away at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND, on July 19, 2025, due to his medical condition.

He was born on May 7, 1952, in Bismarck, ND, the second of three sons to Clayton C. and Marie J. (Morton) Bartz. Ken lived in Dickinson, ND, until 1956 when they moved to Beach, ND. Ken grew up in Beach, being confirmed in the Congregational Church. He graduated from Beach High School in 1970. Ken went on to attend Dickinson State College and graduated from Brown Institute of Broadcasting in Minneapolis, MN. Later on, Ken took engineering classes from NDSU.

At an early age, Ken discovered a life long love for radio, particularly FM. One of his first projects as a kid was to solder a circuit board kit together to make his first full functioning transmitter radio in the family basement and proudly showed his finished work to his parents. Ken worked and gained experience in television and radio at various stations in ND, SD and MN before moving to Fargo to begin and expand his radio engineering business. While in Fargo, he applied for and was granted a license for a full power FM radio station, KNNZ- FM and built a full functioning studio in the basement of his home. He also constructed a full-sized tower to transmit his signal located near Barnesville, MN. It was a fulfillment of a lifelong dream that he worked long and hard to achieve.

Ken enjoyed all things radio and also delighted in getting photographs of lightning and taking road trips with friends to see solar eclipses around the region. He will be remembered as a kind, generous and affable person who enjoyed the challenge to repair electronic components especially pertaining to radio. Folks often referred to Ken as the MacGyver of radio engineering as he could fix almost anything and would rather repair than replace radio electrical systems.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Clayton C. and Marie J. (Morton) Bartz. He is survived by his brothers, Richard (Linda), Dickinson and David (Darleen), Bismarck; and five nieces and nephews, Jeremiah Bartz, Grand Forks, Meghan Bartz, Williston, Joshua Bartz, Bismarck, Erich Bartz, Williston, and Jacquelyn Bartz, Helena, MT.

A Memorial Service will be held at noon on Saturday, September 13, at Grace United Methodist Church, 1120 17th St. S. Moorhead, MN.