John H. "Jack" Cedergren, 88, died Aug. 21, 2011, in his home four days shy of his 89th birthday.
He was the son of John G. and Rachel (Gunderson) Cedergren. He was born Aug. 25, 1922, and was a lifelong resident of Duluth. He was a 1940 graduate of Duluth Central High School.
He was a student at Duluth Junior College, and joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program. He earned his pilot's license on Dec. 6, 1941, and the country was at war. After enlisting, he passed the test to become an aviation cadet, became a military pilot, and was sworn in to the United States Army Air Force in October 1942. He graduated from flight training, received his wings and was commissioned in August 1944.
Jack was transported overseas on board the Isle de France, a luxury liner made into a trooper carrier. On arrival in the United Kingdom, Jack was assigned to the 78th Fighter Group, 82nd Fighter Squadron, flying P51's out of Duxford, England, a 1924 British airdrome. The mission of fighter groups was to escort bombers over the targets, bombing Germany and its allies.
While waiting for reassignment to the Pacific, Jack was assigned to the 55th Fighter Group, flying out of Kaufbeurn, Germany, where he patrolled the German and Russian borders.
Jack returned to the U.S. in July of 1946. He and his friend, Irving Benson, made an unprecedented 1,000 mile canoe trip from the Minnesota border to the Hudson Bay in Canada. After that Jack worked as a bush pilot in Alaska and then returned to the University of Minnesota, where he graduated in the spring of 1949 with a B.S. degree in Forestry.
Jack's first job was logging on the West Slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains for two years. He then worked for the Northwest Paper Company (NWPC) starting as a logging superintendent in the Isabella area. It is during this time he met and married Mavis Earles, a social worker for St. Louis County. He remained with NWPC (becoming Potlatch Corporation) and retired in 1986, as Director of Wood Procurement, after 35 years of service.
Jack and Mavis were blessed with two daughters and three grandchildren, who are the joys of their lives.
Jack served on various professional boards and was an active board member of the Minnesota Timber Producers Association for many years.
Upon retirement, Jack continued his quest for duck hunting worldwide and enjoyed vacations with Mavis, traveling throughout the world, til Parkinson's disease got the best of him. His most recent travel brought him to Utah in June of 2011, to see his granddaughter's high school graduation.
Jack is survived by Mavis, his wife of 58 years; daughter Mary (Todd) Troxell and their daughter Courtney; daughter Anne (William) Howard and their sons Erik, Ethan and Jesse; sister Mary (Ben) Kirkendall; and nephews Jack, David (Lisa), and Tom (Vicky) Kirkendall.
VISITATION: 10 until the 11 a.m. memorial service Thursday, Aug. 25, in Glen Avon Presbyterian Church. Military Honors accorded by the Duluth Combined Honor Guard. Interment at Forest Hill Cemetery.
He was the son of John G. and Rachel (Gunderson) Cedergren. He was born Aug. 25, 1922, and was a lifelong resident of Duluth. He was a 1940 graduate of Duluth Central High School.
He was a student at Duluth Junior College, and joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program. He earned his pilot's license on Dec. 6, 1941, and the country was at war. After enlisting, he passed the test to become an aviation cadet, became a military pilot, and was sworn in to the United States Army Air Force in October 1942. He graduated from flight training, received his wings and was commissioned in August 1944.
Jack was transported overseas on board the Isle de France, a luxury liner made into a trooper carrier. On arrival in the United Kingdom, Jack was assigned to the 78th Fighter Group, 82nd Fighter Squadron, flying P51's out of Duxford, England, a 1924 British airdrome. The mission of fighter groups was to escort bombers over the targets, bombing Germany and its allies.
While waiting for reassignment to the Pacific, Jack was assigned to the 55th Fighter Group, flying out of Kaufbeurn, Germany, where he patrolled the German and Russian borders.
Jack returned to the U.S. in July of 1946. He and his friend, Irving Benson, made an unprecedented 1,000 mile canoe trip from the Minnesota border to the Hudson Bay in Canada. After that Jack worked as a bush pilot in Alaska and then returned to the University of Minnesota, where he graduated in the spring of 1949 with a B.S. degree in Forestry.
Jack's first job was logging on the West Slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains for two years. He then worked for the Northwest Paper Company (NWPC) starting as a logging superintendent in the Isabella area. It is during this time he met and married Mavis Earles, a social worker for St. Louis County. He remained with NWPC (becoming Potlatch Corporation) and retired in 1986, as Director of Wood Procurement, after 35 years of service.
Jack and Mavis were blessed with two daughters and three grandchildren, who are the joys of their lives.
Jack served on various professional boards and was an active board member of the Minnesota Timber Producers Association for many years.
Upon retirement, Jack continued his quest for duck hunting worldwide and enjoyed vacations with Mavis, traveling throughout the world, til Parkinson's disease got the best of him. His most recent travel brought him to Utah in June of 2011, to see his granddaughter's high school graduation.
Jack is survived by Mavis, his wife of 58 years; daughter Mary (Todd) Troxell and their daughter Courtney; daughter Anne (William) Howard and their sons Erik, Ethan and Jesse; sister Mary (Ben) Kirkendall; and nephews Jack, David (Lisa), and Tom (Vicky) Kirkendall.
VISITATION: 10 until the 11 a.m. memorial service Thursday, Aug. 25, in Glen Avon Presbyterian Church. Military Honors accorded by the Duluth Combined Honor Guard. Interment at Forest Hill Cemetery.
John H. "Jack" Cedergren, 88, died Aug. 21, 2011, in his home four days shy of his 89th birthday.
He was the son of John G. and Rachel (Gunderson) Cedergren. He was born Aug. 25, 1922, and was a lifelong resident of Duluth. He was a 1940 graduate of Duluth Central High School.
He was a student at Duluth Junior College, and joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program. He earned his pilot's license on Dec. 6, 1941, and the country was at war. After enlisting, he passed the test to become an aviation cadet, became a military pilot, and was sworn in to the United States Army Air Force in October 1942. He graduated from flight training, received his wings and was commissioned in August 1944.
Jack was transported overseas on board the Isle de France, a luxury liner made into a trooper carrier. On arrival in the United Kingdom, Jack was assigned to the 78th Fighter Group, 82nd Fighter Squadron, flying P51's out of Duxford, England, a 1924 British airdrome. The mission of fighter groups was to escort bombers over the targets, bombing Germany and its allies.
While waiting for reassignment to the Pacific, Jack was assigned to the 55th Fighter Group, flying out of Kaufbeurn, Germany, where he patrolled the German and Russian borders.
Jack returned to the U.S. in July of 1946. He and his friend, Irving Benson, made an unprecedented 1,000 mile canoe trip from the Minnesota border to the Hudson Bay in Canada. After that Jack worked as a bush pilot in Alaska and then returned to the University of Minnesota, where he graduated in the spring of 1949 with a B.S. degree in Forestry.
Jack's first job was logging on the West Slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains for two years. He then worked for the Northwest Paper Company (NWPC) starting as a logging superintendent in the Isabella area. It is during this time he met and married Mavis Earles, a social worker for St. Louis County. He remained with NWPC (becoming Potlatch Corporation) and retired in 1986, as Director of Wood Procurement, after 35 years of service.
Jack and Mavis were blessed with two daughters and three grandchildren, who are the joys of their lives.
Jack served on various professional boards and was an active board member of the Minnesota Timber Producers Association for many years.
Upon retirement, Jack continued his quest for duck hunting worldwide and enjoyed vacations with Mavis, traveling throughout the world, til Parkinson's disease got the best of him. His most recent travel brought him to Utah in June of 2011, to see his granddaughter's high school graduation.
Jack is survived by Mavis, his wife of 58 years; daughter Mary (Todd) Troxell and their daughter Courtney; daughter Anne (William) Howard and their sons Erik, Ethan and Jesse; sister Mary (Ben) Kirkendall; and nephews Jack, David (Lisa), and Tom (Vicky) Kirkendall.
VISITATION: 10 until the 11 a.m. memorial service Thursday, Aug. 25, in Glen Avon Presbyterian Church. Military Honors accorded by the Duluth Combined Honor Guard. Interment at Forest Hill Cemetery.
He was the son of John G. and Rachel (Gunderson) Cedergren. He was born Aug. 25, 1922, and was a lifelong resident of Duluth. He was a 1940 graduate of Duluth Central High School.
He was a student at Duluth Junior College, and joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program. He earned his pilot's license on Dec. 6, 1941, and the country was at war. After enlisting, he passed the test to become an aviation cadet, became a military pilot, and was sworn in to the United States Army Air Force in October 1942. He graduated from flight training, received his wings and was commissioned in August 1944.
Jack was transported overseas on board the Isle de France, a luxury liner made into a trooper carrier. On arrival in the United Kingdom, Jack was assigned to the 78th Fighter Group, 82nd Fighter Squadron, flying P51's out of Duxford, England, a 1924 British airdrome. The mission of fighter groups was to escort bombers over the targets, bombing Germany and its allies.
While waiting for reassignment to the Pacific, Jack was assigned to the 55th Fighter Group, flying out of Kaufbeurn, Germany, where he patrolled the German and Russian borders.
Jack returned to the U.S. in July of 1946. He and his friend, Irving Benson, made an unprecedented 1,000 mile canoe trip from the Minnesota border to the Hudson Bay in Canada. After that Jack worked as a bush pilot in Alaska and then returned to the University of Minnesota, where he graduated in the spring of 1949 with a B.S. degree in Forestry.
Jack's first job was logging on the West Slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains for two years. He then worked for the Northwest Paper Company (NWPC) starting as a logging superintendent in the Isabella area. It is during this time he met and married Mavis Earles, a social worker for St. Louis County. He remained with NWPC (becoming Potlatch Corporation) and retired in 1986, as Director of Wood Procurement, after 35 years of service.
Jack and Mavis were blessed with two daughters and three grandchildren, who are the joys of their lives.
Jack served on various professional boards and was an active board member of the Minnesota Timber Producers Association for many years.
Upon retirement, Jack continued his quest for duck hunting worldwide and enjoyed vacations with Mavis, traveling throughout the world, til Parkinson's disease got the best of him. His most recent travel brought him to Utah in June of 2011, to see his granddaughter's high school graduation.
Jack is survived by Mavis, his wife of 58 years; daughter Mary (Todd) Troxell and their daughter Courtney; daughter Anne (William) Howard and their sons Erik, Ethan and Jesse; sister Mary (Ben) Kirkendall; and nephews Jack, David (Lisa), and Tom (Vicky) Kirkendall.
VISITATION: 10 until the 11 a.m. memorial service Thursday, Aug. 25, in Glen Avon Presbyterian Church. Military Honors accorded by the Duluth Combined Honor Guard. Interment at Forest Hill Cemetery.
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