Hugo Norgren

Hugo A. Norgren was born on August 11, 1910 in Bertrand, Nebraska, the son of Johan Albert Norgren and Hulda Viktoria Andersson Norgren. Hugo's father died in 1920 and the family moved to Iowa the following year to be near relatives. Hugo graduated from Rippey High School in 1928 and attended Iowa State College in Ames for two years, majoring in Dairy Science.
In 1930 Hugo went to work for the Rippey Savings Bank as a bookkeeper and janitor. In 1942 he joined the U.S. Coast Guard, serving as a pharmacist's mate stationed in Rock Island, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. After his discharge in 1945 he returned to the Rippey Savings Bank and after 70 years of service, retired as president in 2000.
On May 14, 1944 Hugo married Laura Lucille Gilmore at her parents' home near Cooper. After the war the couple made their home on a farm south of Rippey. They became the proud parents of four children. In 1985 Hugo and Lucille moved to an acreage northwest of Rippey. Since 2005 they have lived in Perry.
During their 62 years of marriage Hugo and Lucille enjoyed trips to Sweden to visit relatives, to Alaska by pickup camper, and to Northern Ireland to watch their son, Roger compete in the World Ploughing Contest. They took numerous bus trips around the country with a Methodist group. They especially enjoyed attending their grandchildren's school activities. Hugo enjoyed golfing and regular fishing trips to Minnesota and Canada. He raised prize-winning Angus cattle, water skied at age 65, and took a motorcycle ride at age 90.
Hugo was a 50 year member of the Rippey Lions Club, the Rippey American Legion Post, and Elmo Masonic Lodge #465 A.F. and A.M. of Rippey. He was a member of the Iowa Bankers' Association, the Rippey Commercial Club and belonged to the Rippey United Methodist Church.
Hugo Norgren died September 25, 2006 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. He was preceded in death by his parents and his two sister, Agnes Grimm and Helen Rice. He is survived by his wife Lucille; three daughters; Carol John and her husband David of Jefferson, Frances Teagarden and her husband Jack of Grand Junction, and Barbara Hunter and her husband, Alan of Decatur, Georgia; one son, Roger and his wife Colleen of Rippey; six grandchildren: Kerry Juhl and her husband Andy of Clive, Kevin Teagarden and his wife Melinda of Glendale, Arizona, Nathaniel Norgren and his wife Stephanie of Kansas City, Kaisha Norgren of Kansas City, Kara Norgren of Cedar Falls, and Zachary Norgren of Iowa Falls; five great-grandchildren: Sara, Ben, and Seth Juhl, and Chloe and Abigail Teagarden.
Services were held September 28, 2006 at the Rippey United Methodist Church with words of comfort by Pastor Deb Parkison. Interment was at the Rippey Cemetery.