Johnson Funeral Service, Thief River Falls, MN

Ivan "Ike" Hesse, 87, of Red Lake Falls, MN, passed away on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at Altru Hospital, Grand Forks, ND surrounded by his loving family.

Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday, November 25, 2018 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN with Rev. John Bumgardner officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Red Lake Falls, MN.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM with a time of storytelling to start at 7:00 PM on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the funeral on Sunday.

Ivan Louis Hesse was born on March 27, 1931 at home on the family farm in River Township, Red Lake County, MN the youngest of 12 born to George and Alma (Lothert) Hesse. He was baptized in Plummer, MN and confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Red Lake Falls, MN. He was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Plummer, MN. Ivan attended country school and then public school in Plummer, MN.

From 1952-1954 Ivan served during the Korean War with the United States Marine Corps and served in San Diego, California and Hawaii. He then served in the Reserves for the next 6 years and was Honorably Discharged.

He worked for a farmer in the state of Washington and later did construction work. He also did road work throughout the upper Midwest and worked as a welder's aid on the pipeline. In 1963, Ivan went into partnership with his brother, Sylvester, farming at the current homestead in River Township where he continued to reside the remainder of his life.

Ivan was always everyone's favorite uncle. He thought of his nieces and nephews as his own children and made each feel very special in their own way.

He was known to many as "Jivin' Ivan" because he was a jokester, prankster and always full of great stories and his signature smirk. Ike liked to hunt and made daily patrols looking for skunks and varmints. He enjoyed fishing salmon in Washington and on the local lakes with family. Coffee with his brothers and later at the Creamery was a daily ritual. Ike taught many of us how to trap gophers and shoot sparrows in the barn or off the high line wires. He also teased the little ones with the hardest Easter egg hunts ever!

Ike was a life-time member of the Plummer American Legion Post 623 and served many years with the Honor Guard.

Survivors include siblings, Eva (Bud) Lauritz of Seattle, WA, Doris Malwitz of Thief River Falls and Melvin (Peggy) Hesse of Plummer, MN; sister-in-law, Loretta Hesse of Thief River Falls; numerous nieces & nephews; great-nieces & nephews; great-great nieces & nephews; and many other relatives and friends.

He is preceded in death by siblings, Myrtle, Helen, Floyd, Sylvester, Sarah, Marian, Harriet, Donald, and several special relatives and friends.

"Straight Ahead!"

~Ivan Hesse