IVER BOGEN

Longtime educator, community activist, and humanitarian, Iver Bogen, died peacefully on Tuesday, April 24, surrounded by his family at Essentia Health Center.

Iver was born Sept. 20, 1929 in Minneapolis, to Iver Sr. and Nora Tondevold Bogen.

The youngest of six siblings, he was active in his school and the YMCA from an early age. Whether it was a school newspaper drive, YMCA activities, or student government, Iver was enthusiastically involved in his community. His talent for leadership was recognized and nurtured by a special mentor, Lindy Cedarblade, who fostered his involvement in the YMCA and later encouraged him to attend Macalester College. After graduating from Macalaster College in 1951, Iver went on to earn his Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver. He was hired in 1961 by the University of Minnesota Morris where he taught courses in Learning and Developmental Psychology and served as the director of the Reading and Counseling Clinics. In 1965, he was hired to teach in the Psychology Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he taught courses in Group Dynamics, School Counseling Procedures, Psychology of Human Learning, and Human Sexuality. During Iver's teaching career, he pioneered courses in Human Sexuality that provided students a forum for gaining accurate knowledge about this important aspect of the human experience. As an educator and colleague, Iver sought to align his teaching with practices that promoted depth of understanding, open dialogue, and opportunities for scholarly discussion of controversial subjects. In addition to his teaching career, Iver followed his passion for doing what he could to create a more peaceful and just world. His convictions concerning women's rights, civil rights, racial justice, gay rights,preservation of our natural resources, and an end to war were frequently articulated in letters to the editor and through his organizing efforts in the community.

He had an appreciation of nature, the arts, and sciences which found their expression in his enjoyment of classical music, canoing, and spending time with family and friends at his cabin on the Gunflint Trail.

He is pre-deceased by his parents, Iver Bogen and Nora Tondevold, and sister Irene Lysen.

Iver is survived by brothers Ollie and Robert; sisters Ardis and Dorothy; wife of 43 years, Nancy Bogen; step daughter, Wendy (Ron) Ragland; former wife Helen Prosser; children Kathy (Wayne) Bogen, Dave (Pamela Spatz) Bogen; grandchildren Leah (Will) Nicholson, Isabelle Bogen, Gier Spatz Bogen, Hannah Spatz Bogen, Zachary Ragland, and Jeremy Ragland, as well as numerous treasured friends.

Iver's family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the staff of Westwood, Benedictine Health Center, and Essentia Health for the attentive, loving and generous care they provided him and his family.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE: 11 a.m. Saturday, April 28, in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth, 835 West College Street.

Memorials may be made to Churches United in Ministry (CHUM), the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, or a charity of choice.

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