C. Owen Carlson

Charles Owen Carlson, 94, died on February 13, 2015, in Moorhead, Minnesota. Owen was born to Charles O. and Maude Carlson on February 4, 1921 in Minot, North Dakota. For most of his childhood, he lived with his brothers and parents on farms in Ward County, North Dakota, where his father had a homestead. In the mid-1930s, the family moved to Minot and Owen graduated from Minot High School in 1939.

Owen served in the Army during World War II, fighting in New Guinea, the Admiralty Islands, and the Philippines. When the war ended, he was part of the occupying force in Japan before returning to the United States in November 1945. During his service, he was awarded several service medals, including the Purple Heart.

Owen married Catherine Lorraine Truax in Minot, North Dakota on June 5, 1948,. Early in their marriage, Owen and Catherine lived in Minot, where their sons were born. The family moved to Fargo in 1960. Owen was a “car guy,” and he greatly enjoyed his 37-year career working for General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) in Minot and Fargo.

Owen believed strongly in community service. He served for several years as an adult leader in the Boy Scouts and was active in the Fargo Lions Club. He was a devoted and active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Fargo for more than 50 years.

Owen is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Catherine, Riverview Place, Fargo; three sons, Charles “Chip” (Deb) Carlson, Eden Prairie, MN; Jonathan (Susan) Carlson, Iowa City, IA; and Alan Carlson, Moorhead, MN; a brother, Laurel (Ruth) Carlson, Corona, CA; a sister-in-law, Selma Carlson, Bismarck, ND; brother-in-law Calvin Truax, Cheyenne, WY; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, Pershing Carlson.

This stanza from a poem by the great Scottish bard, Robert Burns, perfectly captures the character of our husband and father: “For thus the Royal Mandate ran / When first the human race began: ‘The social, friendly, honest man / Whate’re he be, / ‘Tis he fulfills great nature’s plan / And none but he.’”