Henry C. Kooren

Henry C. Kooren, 80, Hawley, MN, died on Thursday, November 27, 2008, in MeritCare Palliative Care, Fargo, ND. Henry was born on February 20, 1928, near South Heart, ND, to Carl and Elizabeth Metz Kooren. He grew up and attended school there. He served in the United States Army Air Corps from 1946 until 1949 and then returned to Dickinson, ND, where he married Ramona Trenkenschuh on June 20, 1951. Henry built the house they lived in until they moved to Fargo in 1966. He went to brick laying school in Illinois and then returned to Dickinson where he worked for Kolling Construction. He has been a member of the Bricklayers Union for over 58 years. As a bricklayer he was very proud of all the many large buildings in Fargo/Moorhead that he worked on. Some of the local ones he worked on were, St. Ansgar's Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital, now MeritCare, St. John's Hospital, Moorhead Highrise, the library, West Acres, many banks, as well buildings in many other states.In 1966 they moved to Fargo, ND, and he worked for Meinecke-Johnson and John T. Jones Construction companies. They moved to Rollag, MN, in 1975 and in 2003 moved to Hawley, MN.Henry loved to garden and he always had a large garden. He was proud of his "crops" and flowers. Henry was a happy person who loved to tell jokes, funny stories and he loved to laugh. Henry is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ramona Kooren, Hawley, MN; four sons, Dennis Karen Kooren, Fargo, ND, Terry Kooren, Hawley, MN, Jeff Amy Kooren, Gillette, WY, Greg Kooren, Fargo, ND; eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; one brother, Raymond Kooren, Missoula, MT; and one sister, Irene Desmond, Dickinson, ND; and many nieces and nephews.