Douglas R. Coen

Douglas’ service will be livestreamed below at 10:00 AM, Saturday, October 14, 2023

Douglas Ray Coen was born January 11, 1927, in Page, North Dakota to David and Margorie (Strain) Coen. He grew up and attended school in Finley, North Dakota. In 1945, Doug enlisted in the US army. He returned and graduated from Finley High School in 1947. Doug went on to earn a degree in Education from Mayville State College and later a Masters in School Administration from North Dakota State University. During college, Doug worked one summer as a fire spotter in the Pacific Northwest. On June 10, 1950, Doug married Hildur “Peg” Grettum in Moorhead, Minnesota. Doug and Peg were “dorm parents” for the women’s dormitory at Mayville. They were happily married for 67 years, raising three sons together. Doug first taught school in Salmon, Idaho, before moving to Breckenridge, Minnesota. He began as a teacher of typing, shorthand, and business systems at the High School, eventually becoming the vice-principal. Doug was instrumental in starting the Middle School in Breckenridge and remained Middle School principal until retirement in 1986. During his teaching years, he was also a carpenter in the summers, building several lake homes and a church in the Detroit Lakes, Minnesota area. Doug was a founding board member of Valley Lake Boys Home of Breckenridge. In retirement, Doug and Peg moved to their lake home, which Doug built over the years. Peg Coen died in February of 2018.

Doug enjoyed fishing, hunting, building quilt racks for family and friends, and elaborately decorating his pontoon for the annual boat parade on Big Floyd Lake. He always had a project in the works. In retirement, he was a volunteer with the Helping Hands organization in Detroit Lakes, helping others with handyman projects they were unable to do for themselves. Doug could talk to anyone, liked to tell a story, always tried to be a good neighbor and friend, and said he had the best neighbors. In recent years, his brother Allen was a source of great support. Doug moved to Eventide Nursing Center in 2021. He died peacefully there on September 21, 2023, at the age of 96.

Doug is survived by his three sons, Douglas Paul (Jane) Coen of Omaha, Nebraska; Peter (Karla) Coen-Tuff of Grand Forks, North Dakota; Philip (Cara) Coen-Pesch of St. Louis Park, Minnesota; grandchildren, Anne (David) Ott; Aaron Coen; Michael Coen; Matthew (Alexandra) Benson-Tuff; Sarah (Ian) Coen-Frei; Isaac Coen-Pesch; Emma Coen-Pesch; Alaynna (Emmanuel) Odongkara; Claire Coen; Alex (Samantha) Neiderhaus; and eight great-grandchildren. Also surviving are his sisters, Palma Romero and Joyce Benjamin; and his brother, Allan Coen. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Peg, brothers Curtis Coen and Lyle Coen, and granddaughter Rachel Coen-Tuff.