Douglas VanKempen

Memorial services for Douglas VanKempen, of Morris, will be held on February 26, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris .  Father Todd Schneider will be celebrating the Mass.  A visitation will be on Friday evening, from 5-7:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:00 at the Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris.  Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Morris at a later date.

Douglas Raymond VanKempen was born on May 9, 1941, in Morris, Minnesota to Raymond “Nemo” and Irene (Fluegel) VanKempen, where he grew up and attended St. Mary’s School and Morris High School, graduating in 1959.  On November 16, 1963, Doug was united in marriage to the girl next door, Mary Jane Hoyer. They made their home and raised their family in Morris. Doug began his career as a mechanic and worked at Fluegel Motors for many years. In 1980, he and Mary Jane opened Doug’s Auto Repair. The couple operated the business for over 30 years until their retirement.

In his younger years, Doug enjoyed playing softball, bowling, camping and snowmobiling. Doug was an active member of Assumption Catholic Church in Morris, where he served as an usher for many years. He was also an active member of the Knights of Columbus and involved with Boy Scouts.  As he got older, he liked to spend time hunting, fishing, playing games, stargazing and watching sports of all kinds. Doug enjoyed being outside in all seasons and you could often find him riding his bike, walking or tinkering in his yard.  Doug enjoyed having a beautifully manicured yard and worked to have the best yard in the neighborhood. On summer evenings, Doug and Mary Jane could be found sitting together in their screen house or tooling around town in their convertible.  Family was very important to Doug.  Whether at home, at the lake or traveling, he cherished every minute shared with family.

Doug was a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend.  His love of ice cream, brownies and M&Ms was second only to his family. Doug died peacefully on Thursday, January 27, 2022, at Grand Arbor in Alexandria; he was 80 years old.

Doug is survived by his wife, Mary Jane of Morris; children: Kurt (Lisa) VanKempen of Coon Rapids, Sara (Mitch Finne) VanKempen of Eden Prairie, and Leah VanKempen of Morris; two grandchildren: Jake VanKempen of Minneapolis, and Eleanor Finne of Eden Prairie; siblings: Charles “Smokey” VanKempen of Chokio, Joseph (Deborah) VanKempen of Lenexa, KS, William (Debi) VanKempen of Hammond, WI, and Patricia (Roger) Christiansen of Gardner, KS; and numerous nieces and nephews.  He is preceded in death by his parents.

Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris is in care of arrangements for Doug.