Harold E. Henn

Memorial service for Harold will be 11 a.m. Monday, July 12, 2021, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Red Wing.  Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 11, 2021 at the Mahn Family Funeral Home, Bodelson-Mahn Chapel and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.  Burial will be at the Oakwood Cemetery.

Harold Edmund Henn (Dad) was born with a mischievous glint in his eye on – as he would say – 15 September 1933 on the family farm in the Town of Salem, Pierce County, WI. He was welcomed by parents Edmund and Rosa (nee Kassera) and older siblings John, Harriett, Robert (Bob), Goldeen, Alberta (Bert), and Verona (Vee). Seventeen months later Dad helped the family welcome the youngest, Gale. Dad was baptized at home into the Christian faith. The family later moved to Red Wing, MN, where he was confirmed at First Lutheran Church. Dad often recalled life on the farm, including the excitement they had for peach season as the individual peach wrappings were much preferred in the outhouse over pages from the Sears Roebuck catalog. Dad graduated from Red Wing Central High School in 1952. Dad’s first love was airplanes and flying and they remained lifelong passions. He joined the Minnesota State Guard and was honorably discharged in 1952. Dad enlisted in the United States Air Force and received the highest score at aircraft maintenance school. During the Korean War he was stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, ID, and was honorably discharged in 1956. That same year he accepted a job as a baggage handler for United Airlines in Chicago, IL, while he earned his airframe and powerplant license from the aeronautical university at Midway Airport. In 1957, he was hired by North Central Airlines and transferred to Minneapolis, MN, in 1959, where he remained until his retirement in 1992. During those 33 years his employer changed from North Central Airlines, to Republic Airlines, and finally Northwest Airlines, although he would note his office never changed. While in the State Guard Dad met a man by the name of Herman J. Meyer. On July 16, 1959, Dad was visiting Herman in his garage when his daughter Lora drove in. Dad found much joy in saying he took one look at her and knew he had to marry her as no one else would. This is where we must tell you that Dad’s love language was sarcasm. No elaborate sonnets for him when a well-placed one-liner was way more efficient. On Halloween, he romantically proposed by saying, “My vacation starts August 19; when do you want to get married?” She fell for it and they married on Sunday, August 21, 1960, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Red Wing. Dad took aerial photos of the Eisenhower Bridge being constructed next to the old Red Wing bridge and sold them for $1 to pay for their honeymoon trip to Glacier National Park. His thriftiness allowed them a daily budget of $10 for gas, lodging, and food – and the unanticipated alternator brushes. They bought their first house on Prior Lake in Shakopee, MN, living there for nine years before moving to “The Barn” in Bay City, WI, in 1969. During this period they welcomed four daughters: Dena, Beth, Char Lynn, and Ruth. He loved to say they gave us four-letter names as he knew we would never be able to handle anything longer than that. We got our revenge by all being born in May, which led to a months-long confusion of “whose birthday is it today?” for the rest of his life. Later Dad proudly became a grandfather to Nathan Swanson. For all his sarcasm, Dad took his role as daddy very seriously. He worked extremely hard to provide fun family activities for us that grew and changed when we did. When the Piper J-3 Cub was too small, it was upgraded to a Tri-Pacer. When this plane was too small for a family of six it was replaced by a houseboat. As Dena and Beth went off to college and Char Lynn and Ruth started working, the houseboat was replaced by the first of two sailboats. As he aged the sailboat was replaced by an MG that was not driven in Red Wing because Dad wanted to avoid all the traffic. This is the part where Dad leans in and says, “None of this would have been possible without your mother.” Mom and Dad were a true team for sixty years, giving each other credit for their contributions to the family they loved. Mom willingly played disciplinarian so that when Dad was not working or fixing things we could have fun with him. In turn he did his absolute best to derail her plans for raising four young ladies by telling jokes about bodily functions every chance he got.

Dad is survived by loving wife, Lora; adoring daughters Dena Swanson of Neenah, WI, Beth Henn (Rod Johnson) of West St. Paul, MN, Char Lynn Henn of Red Wing, MN, and Ruth (Mike) Kuehni of Bay City, WI; grandson, Nathan Swanson of Neenah, WI; brother Gale (Linda) Henn of Hastings, MN; and many nieces and nephews.

He was greeted in heaven by parents Ed and Rose; brothers John and Bob; sisters Harriett, Goldeen, Bert, and Vee; parents-in-law Herman and Clara Meyer; son-in-law Jon Swanson; two nephews; and four nieces.

We express our sincere appreciation for the wonderful caregivers from Visiting Angels, Comfort Keepers, and St. Crispin Living Community for enhancing his final years.

Memorials are preferred to St. John’s Lutheran Church endowment fund or elevator fund, the Pottery Museum of Red Wing, St. Crispin Foundation, or donor’s choice.  Online condolence may be sent to the family at www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com