Loren S. Pierce

Loren Pierce, 94, Fargo, ND, died on Sunday, August 6, 2006, in Villa Maria Nursing Home, Fargo, ND. Loren Starr Pierce was born on March 22, 1912 in Schyler County, IL. His parents were Ethel Starr and Bart Pierce. As a child, Loren lived with his mother, Ethel, and grandparents, Richard and Etta Starr in Rushville, IL. In his early years he lived on a ranch in rural Grassy Butte, ND, and in 1925, he moved to Moorhead, MN, where he attended Moorhead High School and Concordia College. On March 19, 1936, Loren married Catherine Gilbertson, from Kenmare, ND.In 1939, with $400.00 of borrowed money, Loren and Catherine entered the mobile home business in north Moorhead at the present site of the Moorhead Center Mall. Through the years Loren expanded sales centers through the upper Midwest, with distribution of homes throughout the United States. It is estimated that some 20,000 housing units were sold over a fifty year period, providing starter homes, student housing, lake homes and retirement homes. Manufactured home communities were established in Fargo, West Fargo and Grand Forks, ND, and Moorhead, MN; Conventional homes and communities were also built in Fargo and West Fargo, ND, and Moorhead and Glyndon, MN.Over the years, Loren was active in the Minnesota and North Dakota manufactured home associations, serving as President of the North Dakota association, and is a member of the North Dakota and Minnesota Manufactured home associations Hall of Fame.Loren Participated in several Moorhead community organizations until he retired, was trustee of First Congregational Church in Moorhead, current member of the First United Methodist Church, and served on the boards of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra and the Salvation Army. He was also a member of the Moorhead Rotary Club and the Fargo Elks Lodge. He was a former member of the St. Petersburg, Florida, Yacht Club and a long time member of the Fargo Country Club. Loren's interests also included ownership and breeding of registered Arabian horses.Catherine and Loren spent many memorable excursions on the Yacht, with Catherine over the years entertaining their friends and relatives.Until 1995, Loren lived on their farm in Oakport Township, wintering in Clearwater Florida, summers in their home in south Fargo and had recently been residing at the Villa Maria Nursing Home in Fargo, until his death.He is survived by his wife of seventy years, Catherine, Fargo, ND; three children, Joan Peter Lazorenko, West Fargo, ND, Richard Maryann Pierce, Moorhead, MN, and Carl Emily Pierce, Moorhead, MN; eight grandchildren, Michelle Shulse, Charelston, S.C., Jodi Doug Barlow, Red Wing, MN, Susan Mike Puppe, Northfield, MN, Karen Noll, West Fargo, ND, Donald Candida Lazorenko, West Fargo, ND, Christopher Mia Pierce, Fargo, ND, Stephanie David Alstead, Minneapolis, MN, Ryan Pierce, Moorhead, MN; twelve great-grandchildren, Eric and Megan Shulse, Hanna, Jack and Brian Barlow, Brynn, Nora and Ayla Puppe, Paige Lazorenko, Tyler and Brannon Noll, and Kai Pierce; sister-in-law, Harriet Klein, Bismarck, ND; nieces, Karen Mitch Brook, North Hampton, NH, Colleen Erhard Joerchel, Moscow, Russia; nephew Cameron Klein, Bismarck, ND. He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, brother-in-law, Richard Klein, and grandchildren, Aiden and Owen Puppe.Memorials may be given to First United Methodist Church or the charity of your choice.