Maurice Crownhart

Maurice died peacefully in his sleep February 26, 2014 at Comforts of Home assisted living in Frederic, Wisconsin where Maurice and Hildur have resided for the past 2 1/2 years.  They were blessed with 73 years together as husband and wife.

Hildur and Maurice, legend has it, met when they were four years old in Sunday school at English Lutheran Church and have been attached at the hip ever since.  They graduated from Grantsburg High School in 1936, enrolled together in Grantsburg's one-year teacher training class and began to teach in area country schools at age 19. They were married on August 10, 1940 at the "Little Brown Church in the Vale" in Nashua, Iowa.

Maurice was born on May 10, 1918 and had a productive life over 95 years.  He was a "jack of all trades" and a master of many of them.

After teaching school for two years, Maurice went to work for the Inter-County Leader in Frederic where his father worked.  Maurice was interested in photography and brought those interests to bear on more photos being used in the pages of the newspaper.  As time went on, Hildur and Maurice got into wedding photography and because they were going to the wedding, instead of bringing the wedding party to a studio, like what was traditionally done, there was quite a demand.

In 1950 Maurice, his dad, and brother-in-law Grant Christopherson left the Leader to start a new Grantsburg newspaper, "The Times".  A short two years later the competing newspaper, the Journal of Burnett County, was purchased with Maurice as Editor.  Over the years Maurice got into many different aspects of the printing business which lasted into the late '60's.

Along the way Maurice came to hear that anyone who had taught before 1939 was eligible to apply for a life-time teaching certificate.  So being the "you never know when that might come in handy" kind of a guy, he applied.  After he received his certificate he promptly went over to the school and told the principal that if they ever needed a substitute he was available.  Well, wouldn't you know it in 1967 he got a call that a teacher would not be returning in the fall and would he be able to fill in for a while. He said "sure", and that decision led to a 6-year career of teaching at Grantsburg Junior High.

Maurice was active in the Grantsburg Fire Department and ambulance service for many years.  Of course not being satisfied to just do, he also, being the consummate teacher, decided to teach others what he was doing.  So he convinced WITC to let him develop a course that ended up becoming many years of teaching people to become Emergency Medical Technicians.

When he "retired" from vocational teaching in 1983 Maurice began teaching people to use personal computers.  It seems, when his two youngest sons went away to college and studied Computer Science, Maurice was paying way too much attention.  What with gleaning as much as he could from what they were learning and stocking his own basement with the latest in computer equipment so he could teach himself, he launched himself into yet another career. He taught beginning computer classes and developed software to assist many local business.

Throughout his life it seems as though he had an insatiable need to learn, and learn well, and then teach whatever he took an interest in.  It produced a rich soil for his four boys to grow up in so that they could cultivate their own abilities in a wonderful variety of ways.

Maurice, along with his wife, Hildur were devoted members of the Faith Lutheran Church family. They contributed their time and talents to the Grantsburg Schools and strongly supported the Grantsburg community.  Maurice was named a legend of the county in 2001 for his long-standing contributions to the community and the county.  Maurice was always ready to help someone in need.  Maurice and Hildur were meticulous about their lawn, and their yard, with its circle of flowers, was the envy of many a Grantsburg resident.

Maurice was born to Maurice Abram Crownhart and Myrtle (Halberg) Crownhart in Dooley, Montana.

Maurice is survived by his wife Hildur; four sons, Wayne and his wife Jan, Dale and his wife Donna, Paul and his wife Fran, and Bruce and his wife Connie; 13 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

Preceding Maurice in death were his parents, 3 sisters, 1 brother and 1 daughter-in-law.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 8th at 10:30 AM at Faith Lutheran Church in Grantsburg.  Maurice’s family will be greeting visitors at the church one hour prior to the service.  Please join the family for lunch and fellowship at the church following the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that contributions be made to the American Heart Association in care of Kolstad Family Funeral Home, PO Box 160, Centuria, WI 54824.

The Kolstad Family Funeral Home of Centuria has been entrusted with arrangements.