George Iwen

George William Iwen M.D. was born December 29, 1923 in Laona, WI to August and Selma Iwen. He married Henrietta Gerlich on December 22, 1945 in Madison, WI – she preceded him in death on Nov 19, 2001. George grew up in the small town of Wabeno, WI, and graduated as valedictorian. After High School he continued his education at Valporaiso University in Indiana before transferring to the University of Wisconsin where he graduated in 1947 in the top 2% of his class. He attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City, where he completed his internship and surgical residency. He then went to Baylor university Hospital in Dallas, Tx to complete his residency in Thoracic Surgery. During this time of schooling, he joined the service and went to Germany in 1952 in the occupational forces to help defray the cost of medical school. His schooling & career took him to Green Bay, Wi from 1954 to 1957, Dallas, TX from 1957 to 1959, and to El Paso, Texas from 1959 to 1978, where he practiced cardiovascular thoracic surgery. In 1978 they moved to Fargo, where Dr. Iwen became the Chief of Surgery at the VA Hospital, served as the program Director for the Dept of Surgery, was instrumental in starting the Surgical Residency program in ND, and became a full professor at UND. He worked part time at Meritcare Hospital in the General Surgery Dept. In 1994 he retired from medicine. He entered Bethany Homes in 2002. George is survived by two children, Mary (Douglas) Hansen- Fargo, ND and Frederick (Siobhan) Iwen, Houston, TX, six grandchildren; Joseph Hamm (Ruby Knoll), Fargo, ND; Katie (Thomas) McCann, Fargo, ND; Christopher Iwen, Houston, TX; Benjamin Iwen, Los Angeles, CA; Nichol (Trent) Osborne, Ipswich, SD; and Lindsey Hansen,Wray, CO; Four Great Grandchildren; Kendra & Brooks Osborne, Ipswich, SD; Cody Hansen, Wray, CO and Clara McCann, Fargo, ND. He is also survived by a sister-in-law , Josephine Nyman of Rockford, Ill. He is preceded in death by a sister Emily Ann (Al) Wheeler; Sister and brother-in-laws, Eleanor (Ed) Peters; Margaret Peters, Augusta (Carl) Willy; Marie (Bud) Heim; and mother and father-in-law Joseph & Mary Gerlich. Memorials are preferred to the American Heart Association or an Alzheimer's Group. Funeral: 2:00pm Monday, March 10, 2008 at First Lutheran Church, Fargo Visitation: One hour prior to services at the church Burial: Sunset Memorial Gardens