Paul R. Henry

Paul R. Henry, 89, of Moorhead, MN, passed away Friday, October 25, 2024, in SMP Health – St Catherine North, Fargo, ND. 

Paul Randolph Henry Jr. was born January 16, 1935, the son of Paul R. and Fern (Edgington) Henry Sr., in Sedgwick, KS. Raised on a farm near Sedgwick, Paul graduated from Sedgwick High School in 1953, where he actively participated in sports and was a proud member of the 1953, Kansas Class B, State Championship Basketball team. 

To further his education and continue his passion for basketball, Paul attended Kansas State University, in Manhatton, KS. However, after a brief period, he returned home to assist his father who was injured in a farm accident. After a few years of farming, he resumed his studies at Kansas State before transferring to the University of Minnesota, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry.

On September 13, 1958, Paul married Shirley Hefling in Mount Hope, KS. The couple initially settled in St. Paul, MN, before relocating to Sioux City, IA, where Paul worked for Swift and Company. In 1968, the family moved to Manassas, VA, as Paul furthered his training with the USDA in Washington, DC. They ultimately established their home in Moorhead MN, in 1969, where Paul dedicated his career to the USDA Market News working at the West Fargo Stock Yards, retiring in 2000. Shirley passed away on December 7, 2016. 

Throughout his life, Paul exhibited a remarkable mechanical aptitude. He fondly remembered building a scooter during his youth to ride along the country roads. This creative spirit continued over the years as he constructed various projects, from building a steel guitar, working on cars and handcrafting Civil War era guns out of wood. After Shirley’s passing, he rekindled his passion for building 1/16 scale model toy tractors and trucks, focusing on models from Versatile Tractors and Twin City Tractors and Trucks. 

He is survived by his children, Brad Henry, Moorhead, and Carissa (Harold) Stirling, Fargo; grandchildren, Ian and Sydney Stirling; brother-in-law, Charlie Swindler; and six nieces and one nephew.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Shirley; sister, Lois Kurr; brother-in-law, Bill Kurr; and sister-in-law, Verla Mae Swindler.

Memorials may be directed to Sanford Hospice. 

A Visitation for Paul will begin at 12:00 pm, November 1, 2024, followed by his Funeral Service at 1 PM, in Korsmo Funeral and Cremation Service, Moorhead, MN. He will be laid to rest with his beloved wife Shirley in the Columbarium at Riverside Cemetery in Moorhead. 

(Korsmo Funeral and Cremation Service, Moorhead, MN)