Warren Enger

Warren Jay Enger age 81 of El Paso Township died December 15th, 2021 at United Hospital in St. Paul following an acute abdominal aortic aneurysm. Warren was born on July 29, 1940 in Madison, Minnesota; the son of Julian and Gladys (Olson) Enger. He attended District 106 one room school in Garfield Township. He graduated from West Central School of Agriculture. He received his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Minnesota-Morris.  Following graduation, he joined the Peace Corps, working in Niger for two years.  He then was asked to do recruiting for the Corps and later worked on the staff in Malaysia as a supervisor of volunteers.  Upon returning to the US, he then went on to further his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  After graduation, he joined a small group launching a company to be called Africare. The goal was to participate in economic development of rural Africa. After three years, he would then be asked to work for another begin startup company, RONCO Consulting Corporation, a company developed in 1981 to create agricultural programs and train local residents in countries such as Mali, Zambia, Jamaica, Egypt, Niger and many more.  Warren was able to teach many in agribusiness and renewable resource development. The programs address there dealt mostly in the areas of food security and agriculture. Towards the end of his career, the company’s objective was locating and removing ground mines in countries such as Bosnia.

Warren loved knowledge. He strived to know more, understand history, and how things worked. It was typical for Warren to be reading four books at one time! With his background, he was a nature enthusiast. Corn fields, oak prairies, and farm conservation always had his deep admiration. He loved looking out his farm: Green Fields Crossing. It was never work, rather a joy to tend to his Limousin cattle and everything that came with farm life. On September 22, 1990, he found love and fulfillment as he married Pamela Gardiner in Washington DC. They made a great pair, complementing each other’s different personalities. Whether time spent at home, or traveling to England and Europe.  They enjoyed exploring old castles, palaces and places of historical sufferance.

A Celebration of Life is being planned for the spring, which was Warren’s favorite time of the year, when the land comes life. From seedlings spouting out of the ground to a newborn calf’s first steps, it brought him the greatest pleasure watching his farm come to life. More information will be posted in the spring. Memorials are preferred to the Friends of the Ellsworth Public Library or Feed My Starving Children may be directed to the funeral home. Memorial and cremation services entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 130 No. Grant Street, Ellsworth 54011.