Lavern Tillman Kaaen

LaVern Tillman Kaaen, 90, passed away on October 26, 2008 at Wildflower Lodge, La Grande, OR.

LaVern was born on September 25, 1918, in his grandparents' log cabin in Park, Idaho to Henry and Ella Victoria (Norley-Bergloff) Kaaen.

He loved his family and friends, and was a dedicated and knowledgeable businessman. He loved outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting and camping, especially at the "Big Hole" in the Wallowa Mountains. His love for camping developed at 12 years old, on a hiking trip up the, then, primitive Locksaw River in Idaho. He has fond boyhood memories of a summer swimming hole and winter sledding with friends in Troy, Idaho. In high school, he played football, wearing the standard issue leather helmet, basketball and clarinet.

He attended the University of Idaho, Moscow, ID and Kinman Business College in Spokane, WA. After college he worked in the personnel office at Grande Coulee Dam. In 1938 he went to work for his father in the family's second hardware store in S. Mary's, ID. LaVern married Opal Burnice Taylor in 1939. In 1942 he went to Nome, Alaska, where he was part of the civilian Army Corps of Engineers. After entering the service in 1944, he was stationed in central Europe and fought in the Ardenes, Rhineland until the war ended. Additionally, his unit was overrun by the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge. Courageously, he and fellow servicemen joined other units where LaVern's unit was one of the first groups to cross the Bridge at Remagen on the Rhine River in Germany. He was discharged in 1946 as a Tech-Sergeant. He was employed at Marshall-Wells Wholesale Hardware outlet from 1949-1958 and then Jensen-Byrd Co. as a wholesale hardware salesman, where he garnered several sales awards, until he retired in 1980. LaVern and Opal, with their two sons, moved to La Grande in 1956; joined Zion Lutheran Church and have been members for 52 years.

Grateful for sharing in his life are his wife of 69 years, Opal, two sons, Wayne (Becky) Kaaen, of Dixie, WA and Dean (Beth) Kaaen, Vail, OR; 12 grandchildren, Karin Kaaen, McCall, ID, Kristen Kaaen, Walla Walla, WA, Kristopher (Katie) Kaaen, Baker City, OR, Mary (Zack) Maita, Ft. Bidwell, CA, Katie (Trent) McGary, Rigbey, ID, Cami (Paul) McQuivey, Idaho Falls, ID, Melinda (Reed) Christensen, Melba, ID, Christa (Bo) Nyleen, Rexburg, ID, and Evelyn, Michelle, Brooke and Aubrey Kaaen of Vale, OR. 14 great-grandchildren, Dominic, Jesse, Nicolas, Hailey, Alexis, Brooklyn, Kailey, Connor, Allen, Dean, Andrew, Levi, William and Sofie; and many other relatives and friends.

LaVern is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Myrle.

Memorials in his memory may be directed to Zion Lutheran Church Children's Ministry, 902 Fourth Street, La Grande, OR 97850.

A celebration of life was held at 10 a.m. Friday at Zion Lutheran Church, 902 Fourth St. in La Grande. Burial was at Grandview Cemetery.

.