Herman G. Bryn

Herman G. Bryn, 72, of Argusville, ND, died Friday, February 16, 2018, at Lilac Homes in Moorhead, under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley.

Herman Gary Bryn was born April 4, 1945, in Valley City, ND, to Thorstein and Isadora (Anderson) Bryn.  The family moved to Fargo around 1957 and Herman graduated from Central High School in 1964.  He went on to attend Dakota Business College for 1 year and then began working for Smith Incorporated in West Fargo as a welder.  In 1971 he became one of the first employees at Steiger Tractor in Fargo, where he worked a variety of jobs over the years.  He started the machinist’s union at Steiger and was Vice-President of the union.  In 2003 he retired from his career at what had now become Case New Holland.

In 1971, Herman met his future wife, Karen Lubke, on a blind date.  Herman would become known to Karen as “The Instigator” as he was always the one to get people together and to get the party started. They were married on July 27, 1974 at Olivet Lutheran Church in Fargo.  They made their home in Fargo and in 1986 their son, Adam, was born. The family moved to a farmstead in Argusville, ND in 1998.

Herman will be remembered as a unique man with a heart of gold who loved adventure and was always “the life of the party.” He loved cars and motorcycles, drove in demolition derbys, drag races and stock car races, and built hot rods.  When adventure on the ground wasn’t quite enough, he would take to the sky, flying ultralights.  He also enjoyed going to auctions and filling up his outbuildings with his “treasures.” Several times he would try to downsize his inventory by having his own auction sales, but the urge to attend more auctions would always be there. He loved spending time at their lake place on Campers Cove on Leaf Lake, fishing and hunting.

He belonged to the Joker’s Car Club,was a member of the Argusville Volunteer Fire Department, the president of the Argusville Lion’s Club and active in the Argusville pool league.  He loved playing cards, gambling, and traveling to casinos.  Herman also had a creative and inventive mind, and he was always good at taking scraps of metal or wood and creating wonderful inventions including back scratchers, puzzles, stilts, and even chairs out of old tractor parts.  He built a pig cooker out of a barrel and was known for hosting many wonderful pig roasts for family and friends over the years. He loved entertaining and was especially fond of being the Easter bunny and hiding Easter eggs for his nieces and nephews.  Herman lived for good food and a good nap. He loved telling jokes and always had “the bad joke of the day.”

Through all the difficulties with his health that Herman faced over the years, he always remained a fighter and he maintained a sense of humor as he persevered through all his surgeries. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Herman is survived by his wife, Karen, Argusville; son, Adam Bryn, Argusville; brother, James Bryn, Fargo; sister, Judith Bryn, Fargo; half-brother Erlin John Grotting, Moorhead; half-sisters, Erlene (Jack) Davis, Vergas, MN, Marlene (Carey) Ulschmid, Hawley, MN, Elaine (Ian) Glen, Fargo; step-brother Michael Grotting, Oregon; step-sisters Sandra (Larry) Billings, Washington and Marsha (Robert) Waller, Federal Way, WA; and many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his step-father, Erling Grotting.

Please join us in a Celebration of Life for Herman from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 22, 2018, at Wright Funeral Home in Moorhead.  In honor of Herman, we will celebrate with a lunch buffet of some of his favorite foods.  Please come ready to share stories and memories.

Memorials can be made to Hospice of the Red River Valley, Argusville Volunteer Fire Department, or Homeward Bound.