CARL MERVIN OGREN
Carl Mervin Ogren passed away surrounded by loved ones on October 5, 2023 in Bellevue, Washington. Carl was born in Britton, South Dakota on September 11, 1941.
Carl grew up on the Ogren family farm in Langford, South Dakota. The oldest of seven siblings, he sometimes rode a horse to a rural, oneroom schoolhouse and had daily chores to do such as tending to farm animals and working in the fields. He was a proud member of 4-H and had a knack for machinery.
Carl lived with a family member in Britton to attend highschool “in the city”. He graduated from Britton High School in 1959 and went on to attend South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. It was here where he participated in ROTC, earned a degree in mechanical engineering and met his wife, Maureen Ann Stime.
Immediately after college graduation, Carl began his career in the Air Force at Edwards AFB in Lancaster, California. Carl and Maureen welcomed their first child, Danelle Marie at Edwards AFB and were later transferred to Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, where a second daughter arrived, Christa Ann. While a Captain in the air force, Carl was proud member of the “Skunk Works” team, which was responsible for exotic aircraft designs and highly classified research and development programs. He was on the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane team and enjoyed going to meetings in the Pentagon. He and Maureen loved “the officer life” living on the base at Edwards and Wright Patterson.
After eight years in the air force, Carl left the military and moved to Tuscon, Arizona where he worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft. He soon decided that engineering was not a career for him, considered medical school and eventually settled the family in Spokane, Washington in 1974. It was in Spokane where he began his career in the insurance and estate planning industry and his third child was born, Nathan Carl.
Carl and Maureen later divorced in the late 1980’s and Carl acquired a small life insurance agency in Colfax, WA. In Colfax, he was a leader in the Colfax Rotary where he earned the Paul Harris Service Award multiple times. He also volunteered time reading to children in the local schools and enjoyed weekly coffee dates with his good friends to discuss politics and world events.
Carl met his special friend and love of 33 years, Marilyn Warsinske of Spokane, Washington in 1990. Carl and Marilyn enjoyed dancing and attending traveling Broadway shows, the Spokane Symphony and youth sporting events. Notably, he completed 29 Bloomsday 12K fun runs and Marilyn made him a quilt from the 29 race t-shirts.
Carl cared deeply for his family and friends from both his childhood and adult life. He worked hard to stay in touch via annual holiday and birthday cards and newsletters.
Carl moved to Evergreen Court in Bellevue, Washington in 2022 to be closer to his daughters and their families. He is preceded in death by his parents,MervinandGayOgren and brother Ronald Ogren. He is survived by his children Danelle (Ogren) Gonzalez, Christa (Ogren) Chambers and Nathan Ogren-Angeli; his friend, MarilynWarsinske; his sisters Carol (Ogren) Jones, Ann (Ogren) Erickson, and Faye (Ogren) Bartz; brothers Donnell Ogren and Robert Ogren; five grandchildren, KajsaOgren, Jacob Gonzalez, Isabelle Gonzalez, Grace Chambers, and Dylan Chambers; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial and burial service will be held at Highlanda Lutheran Church in Langford, South Dakota on Saturday, November 25th at 2:00 p.m. Donations can be made in lieu of flowers to the Colfax Rotary, PO Box 362, Colfax, WA 99111.