Virginia Engen, 86, died on Sunday, June 3, 2007 at Oakland Park Nursing Home in Thief River Falls, MN.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM, Thursday, June 7, 2007 at Zion Lutheran Church in Viking, MN with Rev. Rena Peterson officiating. Burial will follow in the Viking Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 5-8 PM on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN. Visitation will also be held for one hour prior to the funeral service at the church on Thursday.

Virginia Eulalia Cooper was born on June 22, 1920 to George Lankford and Minnie Mae (Ratliff) Cooper in Makoti, ND. Her mother died when Virginia was 5 years old and her siblings raised her in several places around North Dakota. She shared stories about riding horseback to school.

At the age of 16 years, Virginia moved to Marshall County, MN near Viking, MN to cook and help her dad on the farm. She met Harvey Ingolf Engen and the couple was married in Viking on December 17, 1938. They made their home on his fathers farm in rural Viking. After a short stint in Crookston, MN they decided to farm the family farm beginning in 1941. She helped with many of the chores and duties that a farmwife had including combining and hauling the potatoes to Karlstad. She worked at Arctic Enterprises from 1968 to 1980 on the assembly line.

Virginia always had a large garden. She canned and froze the produce to feed her family. She enjoyed raising flowers outside and inside of her home. She had a knack for growing Violets. She rarely watched television as she was most comfortable in the kitchen.

She enjoyed her time with the neighborhood birthday club, and was also a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Viking, MN along with the Ladies Aid.

Virginia is survived by four children: Annette (Donald) Malm, New Hope, MN; Dwight (Linda) Engen, Lakeville, MN; Donavon (Janic) Engen, Bemidji, MN; Burdell Engen, Viking, MN; 10 grandchildren: Thomas (Cindy) Malm, Debra Malm, Julie (Steve) Exner, Heather Malm, Chris Engen, Jim (April) Engen, Angela Engen, Kristina (Will) Engels, Aaron Engen, Andrew Engen, and 6 great grandchildren.

Virginia was preceded in death by her husband Harvey in 1985; her parents, and 6 brothers and sisters: Doran Cooper, Beverly Cooper, Grayden Cooper, Bessie Connett, Lena Avery, and Betty Kastner.

Family condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com

ORGANIST: Ida Nordvall
SOLOIST: Diane Haven
SELECTIONS: Pick two songs
CONGREGATIONAL HYMNS: Amazing Grace, Rock of Ages
CASKETBEARERS: Chris Engen, Jim Engen, Tom Malm, Brandon Malm, Aaron Engen, and Andrew Engen
HONORARY CASKETBEARERS: Debra Malm, Julie Exner, Heather Malm, Angela Engen, Kristina Engels