Brother D.B. Kenner and his wife Runa
Brother D.B. Kenner, a member of BLET Division 195 (Forsyth, Mont.), safely completed his Last Run for the BNSF Railway on January 29, 2026. Kenner’s career spanned three decades and includes nearly 20 years of service as an elected officer of the BLET.
Kenner hired out with the BNSF in November of 1995 in Forsyth, Mont. He joined BLET Division 195 in 2004. He went on to proudly serve the Division as Legislative Representative for 18 years and as Chairman of the Montana State Legislative Board for over a decade. He was a member of the Arrangements Committee at three BLET National Division conventions.
Kenner was a Primary Investigator for the BLET Safety Task Force. During his tenure, he represented BLET on four derailment investigations including the massive oil train derailment and fire in Casselton, N.D., in December 2013.
Kenner’s Last Run began on January 28 and ended on January 29, 2026. He worked as an extra board engineer assigned to dog catch a train from Hettinger, N.D. to Forsyth, Mont., at Rhame, N.D. Throughout his career, Kenner worked primarily from Forsyth to Laurel, Mont. (westbound) and from Forsyth to Hettinger, N.D. (eastbound).
Kenner and his wife Runa have three adult children and five grandchildren. During retirement, he plans to spend time babysitting his youngest grandchildren. Kenner also restores old cars. He has a 1969 Cougar and 1970 Chevelle, and will keep busy working on a 1934 Chevy two-door sedan during retirement.
