Start with the county office
Every benefit on these pages is filed through the Goodhue County Veterans Service Office in Red Wing: director Justin Kent, 651-385-3256, weekdays 8 to 4:30, free. The office comes to Kenyon the last Wednesday of every month, 4 to 6 p.m., at the VFW, 601 2nd Street. Bring the DD-214. Minnesota's help line is LinkVet, 888-546-5838. In a crisis, dial 988 and press 1.
Buying a house here with nothing down
The VA loan needs no down payment and no mortgage insurance, and a veteran receiving compensation pays no funding fee. Minnesota then excludes $150,000 of the homestead's value from tax at 70 percent and $300,000 at 100 percent permanent and total. The six largest Kenyon listings, monthly, at 6.76 percent:
| Listing | Owner | Asking | VA P&I | Tax /mo | Ins /mo | No rating | 70%+ | 100% P&T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12964 E 270th St | no county record | $699,900 | $4,642 | $577* | $373 | $5,592 | $5,353 | $5,228 |
| 851 450th St | Richard A Hanson | $650,000 | $4,311 | $574* | $182 | $5,068 | $4,823 | $4,697 |
| 6321 County Road 11 Blvd | Janiese L Scheer | $459,000 | $3,044 | $304* | $219 | $3,568 | $3,401 | $3,293 |
| 109 Anglewood Dr | Holly A Feidt and David M Feidt II | $449,900 | $2,984 | $584 | $253 | $3,822 | $3,564 | $3,360 |
| 101 Anglewood Dr | Daniel M Dummer and Melissa K Sviggum | $414,900 | $2,752 | $562 | $238 | $3,552 | $3,301 | $3,097 |
| 5766 County Road 12 Blvd | Eryn Smith and Hunter Smith | $399,000 | $2,646 | $198* | $149 | $2,993 | $2,849 | $2,749 |
P&I with the funding fee financed; tax on the parcel's 2026 assessed value; the 70%+ and 100% columns drop the fee and take the exclusion. All 18 listings and the arithmetic are on the loan page.
Health care
- Nearest VA primary care: Rochester VA Clinic, 49 minutes; nearest hospital: Minneapolis VA, 65 minutes. None closer.
- Both exceed VA's 30-minute standard, so enrolled Kenyon veterans ordinarily qualify for local community care for primary and mental health.
- Enroll at 877-222-8387; PACT Act screening every five years; free counseling at the St. Paul Vet Center with a Rochester access point on Thursdays.
- Rides: DAV Southeast Minnesota, 507-703-1139; Dial-A-Ride in Kenyon, $1.75.
School, work, business
- VR&E pays for training or a degree for any veteran rated 10 percent or more; no deadline for discharges since 2013.
- Post-9/11 GI Bill: full public tuition, housing allowance, 36 months. Minnesota GI Bill: up to $3,000 a year as administered.
- Any City of Kenyon job: 10 points for a veteran, 15 for a disabled veteran; tenure protection after probation.
- Veteran-owned businesses get up to a 12 percent preference on state contracts.
State and federal benefits
- Minnesota: emergency dental, optical and subsistence grants through the CVSO; free fishing, hunting and park permits for disabled veterans; free Ex-POW, Medal of Honor and Gold Star plates; no vehicle registration fees at 100 percent; military pay and pensions untaxed.
- Federal: compensation from $180.42 at 10 percent to $3,938.58 at 100 percent a month; pension up to $17,441 a year; VALife to $40,000; burial at Fort Snelling (51 miles) or Preston (75 miles) at no cost.
The town's own
VFW Conrad Osthum Post 141 has stood on Second Street since 1919; the Legion's Joseph A. Gates Post 78 meets there too. The Kenyon Veterans Color Guard flags 600 graves in 17 cemeteries each May, leads the Memorial Day parade from the Speedway to the cemetery, and fills Veterans Memorial Park with the Field of Flags at Rose Fest. The park's four walls carry 244 plaques.
Veterans in the council record
34 meetings mention it, 134 times in all; the most recent 14 below; each date opens the packet or minutes scrolled to that exact mention.
- August 6, 2026 packet– behind Muni and VFW
- May 12, 2026 packetApprove Memorial Day Parade for May 25, 2026
- April 12, 2026 packetKenyon Firemen’s Relief Association to Conduct Lawful Gambling at the Kenyon VFW
- March 10, 2026 packetapplication to conduct lawful charitable gambling at the Kenyon VFW Conrad Osthum Post #141,
- February 10, 2026 packetapplication to conduct lawful charitable gambling at the Kenyon VFW Conrad Osthum Post #141,
- November 12, 2025 packetAdministrator Lehner stated that the November council meeting falls on Veterans Day, November 11
- October 14, 2025 packetSUGGESTED ACTION: The November council meeting falls on Veterans Day, November 11
- June 10, 2025 packetApprove Memorial Day Parade for May 26, 2025
- May 13, 2025 packetApprove Memorial Day Parade for May 26, 2025
- April 8, 2025 packetOn-Sale Liquor License Renewal- VFW
- January 14, 2025 packetKenyon VFW Post 141(Sidewalk)
- January 13, 2025 packetKenyon VFW Post 141(Sidewalk)
- June 11, 2024 packetMotion by Ryan seconded by Bailey to renew the VFW’s liquor license
- May 14, 2024 agendaSUBJECT: On-Sale Liquor License Renewal- VFW
Twelve questions
Who is the veterans service officer for Kenyon?
Goodhue County's Veterans Service Office in Red Wing: director Justin Kent and assistant officer Marissa LaCourt, 509 West 5th Street, lower level, 651-385-3256, weekdays 8 to 4:30. The office is free and files claims on your behalf.
Does the county service officer come to Kenyon?
Yes. Outreach hours at the Kenyon VFW, 601 2nd Street, the last Wednesday of every month from 4 to 6 p.m. He is also at the Zumbrota VFW the fourth Thursday and the Cannon Falls VFW the fourth Tuesday.
Where is the nearest VA clinic to Kenyon?
The Rochester VA Clinic, 3551 Commercial Drive SW, Suite 400, about 38 miles and 49 minutes by road, weekdays 7:30 to 4:30, 507-252-0885. It offers primary care, mental health and 17 specialty lines.
Can I see a local doctor at VA expense?
Usually, for primary care and mental health. VA's standard for those services is a 30-minute average drive to the nearest VA site, and Rochester is about 49 minutes from Kenyon. VA staff make the determination with VA's own mapping tool; ask your VA clinic or call 877-222-8387.
Can I buy a house in Kenyon with nothing down?
Yes. VA-backed loans need no down payment and no mortgage insurance, and nearly 90 percent are made with nothing down. On a $289,000 Kenyon listing, principal and interest at 6.76 percent is about $1,876 a month, or about $1,917 with the first-use funding fee financed.
How much does it save on a Kenyon house?
At 2026 rates a $250,000 homestead pays about $3,734 a year ordinarily, about $1,631 at 70 percent, and about $0 at 100 percent permanent and total. The tax exclusion page runs every value.
What is VR&E?
Veteran Readiness and Employment, Chapter 31: training, education, job placement, self-employment help or independent-living services for veterans rated 10 percent or more with a discharge other than dishonorable. Apply online with VA Form 28-1900.
Does the City of Kenyon give veterans preference?
Yes, as state law requires: 10 points for a veteran and 15 for a disabled veteran on a passing score, and the city's postings ask for the documentation to claim them.
Where can a Kenyon veteran be buried at no cost?
Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis (51 miles) and the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston (75 miles); Preston charges spouses and dependents a fee. Pre-register through the cemetery or the county office.
How do I reserve a flag in the Field of Flags?
A $20 donation to Mac McDonald (507-789-5461) or Paul Senjem (507-254-8302), or at Veterans Memorial Park on the Thursday to Saturday mornings of Rose Fest week.
How do I get a free ride to the Minneapolis VA?
DAV vans carry ambulatory veterans free from the Twin Cities and most suburbs weekdays for appointments between 9 and 1 (612-467-2768). From Kenyon, DAV Minnesota's Southeast region at 507-703-1139 arranges rides to any VA or VA-referred provider with about a week's notice.
Where do I call in a crisis?
Dial 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat at veteranscrisisline.net, any hour. Enrollment in VA is not required.
Sources: va.gov, benefits.va.gov, cem.va.gov, department.va.gov, veteranscrisisline.net, Minnesota Statutes and Rules at revisor.mn.gov, revenue.state.mn.us, dps.mn.gov, mn.gov/mdva, Goodhue and Rice County veterans service pages, macvso.org, mac-v.org, davmn.org, threeriverscap.org, mnlegion.org, Minnesota Gambling Control Board, IRS and ProPublica filings, Kenyon Leader 2016–2025, KDHL, City of Kenyon council packets and minutes 2019–2026; road distances from the OSRM router. Compiled September 13, 2026. This site is independent of every agency and organization named; confirm amounts with the county service officer before relying on them.