Vernon Hektner was born on October 9, 1921 in
Fergus Falls
,
MN
to Joseph and Mabel (Huss) Hektner.
His first home was in
Richland
County
on a farm homesteaded by his grandparents.
Having finished eighth grade in a rural school,
Vernon
went to
Wahpeton
High School
, catching the bus in Mooreton.
This was the first year that high school students were bussed into Wahpeton.
After graduation from high school in 1939, he enrolled at the North Dakota State School of Science, commuting by car from home every day.
In 1941, after finishing at SSS, he went to
Concordia
College
in
Moorhead
and graduated in 1943.
He taught school in
Ulen
,
MN
until 1944 when he received a scholarship to the
University
of
Colorado
in
Boulder
.
After getting his Master’s degree in August of 1945, he taught one year at
Dawson
Junior College
in
Montana
and was teaching at
Farragut
College
in
Idaho
when an opportunity came in December 1946 to teach history at NDSSS.
He continued his graduate education in
Boulder
for an additional six summers.
In 1956,
Vernon
became Dean of the Arts and Science Division, a post he held for 26 years.
For ten years during his career, he served as an examiner for the North Central Association, evaluating two-year colleges in 18 states for accreditation purposes. He returned to teaching for two years before retiring in June 1984 after 40 years in education, 38 of them at Science.
At that time, he was given the title Dean Emeritus and a building was named Hektner Hall in his honor.
On June 22, 1949 he was united in marriage to Leona Kragness, rural Walcott, who was employed in the Richland County Auditor’s Office.
Vernon
served ten years on the school board for Wahpeton Public School District 37.
He also served eleven years as president of the Richland County Historical Society, and in 1976 was the editor of the 600-page Richland County History.
He was known as the consummate authority on local history.
For 46 years he maintained perfect attendance as a member of Kiwanis International, serving as president of the local club and in 1972 as governor of the Minnesota-Dakotas District. In 1999 he was awarded the Tablet of Honor from Kiwanis.
For 24 years he held a seat on the Board of Directors of First Bank in Wahpeton.
He was also a member of the Sons of Norway, Masons, and past member of the Elks and Shrine.
He was a 60-year member of NEA-NDEA.
He was an interested alumnus of NDSCS where he belonged to the S-300 and 1903 Clubs, and of Concordia where he was a C-400 member.
He also served 16 years on the Leach Public Library Board and was a professional speaker at various events throughout the area.
Vernon
has been a member of
Bethel
Lutheran
Church
for more than 60 years, during which he served on several boards and call committees and authored the History of Bethel Church in 1990.
Vernon is survived by his wife, Leona, Wahpeton; his four children, Sonia (Marty) Grabarkewitz, Fargo, ND, Arla (Johnny) Runyon, Mitchell, SD, Kara (Brad) Rubinson, Boynton Beach, FL, Joel (Kristin) Hektner, Fargo;
his eight grandchildren, Erin and Daniel Hagen, Ian and Alana Grabarkewitz, Shawn and Justin Rubinson, Owen and Ben Hektner; his great-grandchild, Jace.
Vernon
was very pleased to have all four children associated with careers in some form of education.
Also surviving are his sisters, Sylvia (Carl) Likness, Jeannette Radig, Inez (Al) Eckre, and sister-in-law, Ann Hektner.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Donald Hektner.
In lieu of flowers the family would prefer memorials to the Vernon Hektner Scholarship Fund at the NDSCS Alumni Foundation or to the Bethel Lutheran Church Foundation.
