Eugene “Gene” LeRoy Cragoe was born on Aug. 28, 1935, to Charles and Garnet (Hetrick) Cragoe in Luverne, Minnesota.
He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Oct. 30, 2024, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
A service was at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at First Presbyterian Church in Luverne with burial following at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
Gene was raised on a farm northeast of Luverne and attended church and Sunday school at the United Methodist in Magnolia and was later baptized and confirmed at the First Presbyterian Church in Luverne. Gene attended school in Magnolia, Minnesota, where he played basketball for the Magnolia Bulldogs. He graduated high school in 1953. Throughout his life, Gene was very involved in 4-H, first in his youth and later with his children, showing beef and dairy cattle, pigs, sheep and horses at the Rock County Fair for many years.
Following high school, Gene worked on the family’s dairy farm operation and drove a school bus.
On March 23, 1956, Gene married his high school sweetheart, Colleen Kay Rust, at the First Presbyterian Church in Luverne. The couple rented a farm two miles north of Magnolia and began farming. Shortly thereafter, with a growing family, the couple rented a farm south of Magnolia. In 1972 Gene and Colleen purchased their family’s farm east of Hardwick, Minnesota, where they farmed until 1996.
With all his kids grown, and recognizing the challenges of farm life, Gene obtained his real estate license in 1991, and he began selling real estate with two of his friends. Gene and Colleen sold the family farm in 1996. The real estate business was a natural for Gene, and he went on to obtain his broker’s license and opened Cragoe Real Estate in Luverne which he operated on Main Street in Luverne until 2022.
Gene was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where he was a deacon and elder in addition to serving on several church committees. Gene and Colleen were actively involved with their church Anchor group for many years. He served on the Rock County Soil and Water Conservation Board, Rock County Zoning and Planning Board, and the Rock County Dairy Association. One of Gene’s lifelong sources of pride was serving on the Luverne Public School Board for 17 years.
Gene enjoyed farm life, camping, woodworking and traveling to Arizona with Colleen during his later years. In 2021 Gene was selected as the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year for his lifelong commitment to the Luverne community. Gene is best known for his gift of socialization and for the art of building lifelong relationships.
Gene’s greatest source of pride was his family. Gene could hardly wait to be surrounded by his children and their families. An avid Vikings and Twins fan, Gene enjoyed every Sunday that he could watch the Purple People Eaters. With a warm smile and his quick sense of humor, Gene shared countless “Gene-isms” with his family which will be remembered forever.
Gene is lovingly remembered by his wife, Colleen, of Luverne; four children, Randy (Kameo) of Ottumwa, Iowa, Pamela (Doug) Miller of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Peggy (Scott) Adams of Luverne, and Wendy (Kent) Klemme of Apex, North Carolina.; 10 grandchildren, Austin (Jill) Cragoe, Sioux Falls, Kylee (Jake) Stinson, Ottumwa, Iowa, Amber (Corey) Rost, Madison, South Dakota, Zachary Miller, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kamryn (Zach) Wessels, Sioux Falls, Jordan Adams, Sioux Falls, Travis Adams, Minneapolis, Paige Adams, Sioux Falls, Jacob (Samantha) Klemme, Buckley, Washington, and Colton Klemme, Sioux Falls; six great-grandchildren, Shayla Rost, Raena Rost, Jersie Cragoe, Sydney Cragoe, Harper Cragoe, and Beauden Klemme; one brother, John “Jack” (Patsy) Cragoe of Luverne; and many other relatives and friends.
Gene joins in heaven his parents; brother Charles Cragoe; sister Elaine Snyders; and infant great-grandson Asher David Klemme.
