Orville Koenen

Orville Dale Koenen was born in Benson,Minnesota on Saturday, January 28, 1933. He was one of eleven children born to Aeise and Marie (Groothuis) Koenen. He was baptized on February 16, 1933 at St. JohnÂ?s Lutheran Church and later confirmed his Lutheran faith at that same altar. He received his formal education in District 88 Country School and Benson Public School. He went on to actively serve his country in the United States Army from December 1953 through 1956 earning an honorable discharge in 1961. Orville married Irene Folkerts at the Bethany Reformed Church in September of 1959 and this union was blessed with two sons and a daughter. He worked for Cenex in Clara City for a few years and then went on to serve the public for twenty five years as a Clara City Police Officer from 1971 until his retirement in 1996. Hunting and fishing were among OrvilleÂ?s favorite things to do in his spare time but spending time with his family, especially his grandkids, was the best of all. On Thursday evening, January 31st, three days after his 75th birthday, OrvilleÂ?s courageous battle ended. With the devotion of his family and Hospice, he was able to remain in his home. Cherishing his memory are his wife Irene, and their children: Clark (Mary) of Eagan, Lynn Koenen of Clara City, and Julie (Darrell) Schoep of Clara City; their 6 grandchildren: Britta, Jacob, and Annika Koenen of Eagan, Benjamin and Andi Schoep of Clara City, and Emily Koenen of Maynard; his brothers Kenneth (Francis) Koenen of Clara City, Gerald (Patti) Koenen of Sumner, WA, and Vernon (Ruth) Koenen of Watson; sisters-in-law Beverly Koenen of Long Beach, CA; and Mavis Koenen of Clara City. He was preceded by his parents Aeise and Marie, and his siblings: Carolyn Langseth, Lorretta Pieper, Donald Koenen, Harold Koenen, Melvin Koenen, and 2 brothers in infancy.