John H. Halgren

John H. Halgren, 62 of Penn ND passed away on Sunday morning, February 27, 2022, at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND.

John Henry Halgren was born in Devils Lake ND to Samuel and Eleanor (Myrdal) Halgren, the youngest of 5 boys in the family. John attended school in Devils Lake and graduated from Central High School in 1978.  He played hockey during his school years in Devils Lake and at the School of Forestry in Bottineau, ND, ND where he attended college.  John also attended NDSU and graduated with a B.S. degree in Horticulture.

John used his horticultural knowledge in his personal life to help anyone who asked him about their trees or plants.  John always had a big garden and shared his produce with his family and friends.  He enjoyed woodworking and loved the outdoors. John was known for his ability to make and fix anything.  He built fish houses, garages and furniture to name a few things. 

 John spent 37 years in the Army National Guard from 1982 to 2019.  He started out as a weekend warrior and then made a career out of being a soldier, working full-time. John served in multiple deployments throughout the world, including Desert Storm in 1990/1991 and Afghanistan in 2017.  He served in many capacities including as the Casualty Assistance Officer for many grieving families and retired with the rank of First Sergeant. John was a humble man. He did not like to draw attention to what he did to help others. He just liked to help wherever he could.

John met the love of his life, Darla Plummer, in August 2011; they later married in November 2016. When John got married, he not only gained a wife, but he also gained a daughter and son-in-law. Later he gained the title of "Papa John" by his two grandsons whom he adored.

After John retired, he became a member of the VFW and served on the Honor Guard with fellow veterans. John had a few passions. His most important one was his family. He loved to hunt and fish. His love for his family, country and others were his greatest assets.

John is survived by his wife, Darla; brothers, Jim (Carla) Halgren of Craig, CO, Bill (Gail) Halgren and Nels (Connie) Halgren of Devils Lake; his stepdaughter, Nicole (Jake) Rust of Hillsboro, ND; grandsons, Noah and Theodore; niece Brooke (Dusty) Bodeen; nephew Samuel Halgren; and many cousins across the United States.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Charles in infancy and niece Chelsey Halgren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the VFW Club, Devils Lake in memory of John. 

Gathering of family and friends at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Friday, March 4, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a time of remembrance and sharing at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Services for John will be on Saturday, March 5^th at 10:30 a.m. at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Devils Lake with Chaplain (Col.) David Johnson officiating. Burial and Military Honors at the Devils Lake Cemetery.