Glenn Allan Wrede

Published 6:30 am Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Glenn Allan Wrede

September 18, 1927 – January 11, 2025

Glenn Allan Wrede, 97, of Bend, Oregon, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away January 11, 2025, not long after suffering a stroke. Glenn was born September 18, 1927 to Andrew and Josephine (Hunt) Wrede of Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. After emigrating to Minnesota and then Wisconsin, the family settled permanently in Oregon. Among the last of the WWII-era veterans, Glenn proudly served in the US Army, stationed in Korea in the mid-1940s. While attending the University of Oregon, he met and married Anne Insell of Woodland, Washington in 1951, a union which lasted nearly 74 years. The young couple raised two children, Kevin and Kelly Jo, followed a decade later by two more bundles of joy, James and Neil.

Glenn retired in 1984 after over 30 years as an inspector with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. A model of self-reliance, he seldom had to call on the services of tradesmen, being skilled as he was in everything from auto mechanics and carpentry to plumbing and electrical work. A devoted Catholic, Glenn was a member of St. Francis of Assisi parish since moving his family to Bend in 1958, and as a dedicated outdoorsman, spent many happy days camping, fishing and hunting with his offspring, relatives and friends. Glenn was active with the Good Sam RV Club (former Riverbenders chapter), Moose, Odd Fellows, VFW and Elks, belonging to the latter for close to seven decades. A long- time volunteer with the St. Vincent de Paul Society food bank, he also spent multiple summers working the pro-life booth at the Deschutes County Fair with wife Anne.

Known for his great sense of humor, Glenn was quite a sociable fellow, able to strike up a conversation with anyone he might encounter. With a curious mind and voracious appetite for reading, he could often be found relaxing in his favorite armchair with a variety of books, magazines and newspapers. Avid travelers well into their 80’s, Glenn and Anne’s post-retirement adventures took them to points far as Alaska, Nova Scotia, and Washington D.C., where they were especially proud to tour the capitol as guests of Honor Flight of Central Oregon, a non-profit dedicated to escorting older veterans to visit and reflect on the Memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice. The pair also enjoyed regular jaunts to kite and bluegrass festivals in Arizona, as well as annual family campouts on the Oregon coast, always with their well-loved travel trailer in tow.

Glenn is survived by his wife, Anne; his children, Kevin (Cora) Wrede, Kelly Jo Jackson and husband Kevin Hildenbrand, James Wrede and Neil Wrede; grandchildren Katrina (Vincent) Masi, Alison Wrede and Valerie Wrede; great-grandchildren Milo Masi and Sienna and Elijah Jackson. He was preceded in death by his grandson Gabriel Jackson in 2011.

Donations may be made to the Central Oregon Meals on Wheels program in Glenn’s memory.