Joseph C Givens

Givens, Joseph C. 94, of Hopkins, passed away on August 26, 2015, surrounded by his loving family. Joe was born August 11, 1921, in Chatfield, MN, to Fanny (Bottum) and William Givens. He married Mary Ellen Ackerman in 1949; she preceded him in death in 2008. He was also preceded in death by three sisters and one brother. He is survived by three daughters, Beth, Claire (Andrew Dipper), and Ann (Chris Kimmey) and his step-grandchildren, Jessamy and Tamlan Dipper. Joe graduated from Northfield High School in 1939; in 1943, he graduated from Carleton College with honors and distinction in chemistry. In 1944, while attending the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton, WI, for graduate studies, he was ordered to Oak Ridge, TN, to join the Manhattan Project; he served the war effort as a physical chemist in the Y12 Building of the Calutron project, working on the chemical extraction of uranium 235 isotopes. After the war, he was employed by Crown Iron Works in Minneapolis, to install a new soybean processing facility in Dawson, MN for the Tri-County Soybean Cooperative Association (now Dawson Mills); in 1952, Joe became its General Manager. Retiring in 1981, Joe and Mary split the year between homes in Edina, MN, and Naples, FL. He continued to consult world-wide on oilseed extraction processes, traveling with Mary at his side to India, Burma, Morocco, Europe, Hungary, Romania, China and South America. Joe believed in the importance of community involvement, serving on the Dawson School Board and as Deacon for the Presbyterian Church. He also served on the board of the National Soybean Processors Association for many years. He held several patents on oilseed processing equipment, having designed specialized machinery for extraction and de-hulling. A central theme of his life was the love of new technology and design, evidenced by his early acquisition of a front-wheel drive car and later an electric hybrid; the first hula hoops and skateboards for his daughters; the first Mac computer; numerous cameras and other gadgets. He loved to travel and introduced his family to many an adventure, including camping trips in the West and a tour of Europe in 1968 in a VW van; in retirement, he and Mary traveled in the Ramblin' Rainbow, the motor home he customized for trips through the US, Canada and Mexico. A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, October 24, at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis; visitation one hour before the service. Interment at Lakewood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to Carleton College, to support scholarships for deserving students within the Chemistry Department. Arrangements with Washburn-McReavy.com Davies Chapel 612-377-2203

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Joseph C Givens

August 26, 2015

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