Hugo Herman John

Hugo Herman John, 90 of Mapleton, died August 31, 2019 at Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Mankato.

Memorial service will be held 10a.m., Wednesday, September 4, 2019 at the United Church in Mapleton.  Visitation will be from 5- 7pm Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at the United Church in Mapleton.  In Lieu of Flowers, the Family prefers Memorials be given to The United Church or Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ.  Olson-Tichenor Funeral Home is assisting the Family. 

Born in Natoma, Kansas to Lorenz and Marie (Doehrmann) John, Feb. 1929.  Moved to Idaho in 1937 due to the dust bowl and lack of work.  Experiences and memories of these early years and time spent as migrant farm hands did much to shape his later interest and commitment to conservation, natural resource equality issues.  Attended High School at Concordia Academy, Portland, OR graduating in 1947.  Worked as an apprentice carman for Pacific Fruit Express Railroad; Married Prudence P. Shuck 1950; US Army 1950-52 7th Army in Germany; operated service station in Mapleton 1952 – 1955; Attended University of Minnesota, BS ’59, MS ’61, PHD ’64; Continued as a Professor of Forestry and Statistics in the College of Forestry, served as Interim Station Statistician and Director of the St Paul Campus Computing Center;  Assoc. Dean College of Forestry, Univ. of ID ’72 – 73; Established School of Natural Resources as Dean, Univ. of VT ’73 – 83; Dean and Professor, College of Ag and Natural Resources, Univ.  of CT, ’83 – 94’. 

Hugo worked in some 18 countries around the world as a Forestry Expert for UN Food and Ag Org., Rome; Senior Consultant to UN Development Program New York, NY; International Executive Service Corps; and as independent Consultant. 

He enjoyed talking about his experiences and discussing world affairs.  The high points of his career were the successful creation, and continuation of the School of Natural Resources at Univ. of VT; a founding Board Member of Smokey House Project in VT working with education for at risk high schoolers; his activities in the development of the Tropical Forest Action Plan of the UN Development Program of New York; a feeling of accomplishment in assisting in resolution of natural resources conservation here and abroad.  After retirement and returning to Mapleton he found great satisfaction in activities related to the United Church and serving as the Moderator of the MN Conference of the United Church of Christ.  He and his wife Pat did volunteer work in Zimbabwe and Ukraine. 

Additional activities which helped to keep him vital, inquiring and stimulated were his 20+ years as a participant in the Tuesday morning Fellowship Breakfast at the Thunder Bar in Good Thunder.  Additional stimulation came with a Saturday Breakfast Group with a small number of eclectic friends.  He expresses his gratitude to members of these two groups for their acceptance as a friend, collegue, and tolerance of his liberal viewpoints. 

Hugo often commented about his life which exceeded even the wildest dreams he may have had and always felt that he had been called to lead the life he was given by the Grace of God.   

Hugo is survived by his wife, Pat of 68 years; children, Peter John and Sarah John; grandchildren, Christopher, Shaun, Mariah, Kaitlyn, Thomas, Kyle and Patrick; 2 great – grandchildren; siblings, Millie Neher and Louise Reynolds; sister-in-law, Rosie John; and many nieces, nephews and friends. 

Hugo was preceded in death by children, Jean Marie and Patrick Charles; sister, Irene; and brothers, Edward and Marvin.