Edwin Haugen

Berthold

Edwin Victor Haugen, 82, Berthold, ND, passed away Tuesday, September 12, 2023, on the family farm.

Ed was born May 26, 1941, the son of Victor Ivory Haugen and Alice Josephine (Klungtvedt) Haugen, in Berthold. His love of farming and cattle began as he was raised on what is now a 4th generation farm. Ed would walk, or go by horse and sleigh, to a small country school located close to the farm. (Uphill both ways!) Later he would attend high school at Dakota Lutheran Academy in Minot, where he graduated in 1959. With his love for music, Ed pursued Higher Education at Brown Institute in Minneapolis, graduating in 1962 with a degree in Radio Broadcasting.

Ed married Mary Ann Stevahn in 1963. Together they would have three boys and many adventures, starting with moving to northern British Columbia, Canada to homestead a farm. Clearing brush, trees, and roots, while living in a shack with no electricity or running water, was a true adventure for Ed. He was a wild spirit who was never afraid to try anything impossible to others. While in British Columbia, Ed was introduced to Lutheran Life, where he unknowingly would begin a 53-year journey. During his career with the company, Ed would go from insurance agent to middle management, with an opportunity to be in top management in Canada. At that time, Ed’s father became ill, and he decided to move the family back to North Dakota to take over the family farm. During this time Ed farmed grain, worked cattle, played his steel guitar in weekend bands, and decided to continue working with Lutheran Life, which became Lutheran Brotherhood and eventually Thrivent. Even with a schedule like that, Ed found time to have crazy adventures with his boys: driving Enduro 175 motorbikes down the interstate from Minot to Yellowstone Park, jumping on an airplane with his son, spur of the moment, to go drive the mountains in Colorado, or playing his steel guitar in a band with his sons at a casino in Minnesota, to help with the mis-booking of a rock-n-roll band in a country music venue, are just a few.

Ed and Mary Ann would later divorce. In 1988, he married Patricia Ellan Harders in Eden, ID. They would continue farming and worked as a team at Thrivent, up until 2020, when a stroke forced him to retire.

The last three years of his life were difficult for a man who never stopped moving, however, he was able to reflect on many adventures and achievements:

He could look back at his music. As a professional musician, he played his steel guitar at recording sessions in Vancouver, BC. At one time, he purchased a nightclub north of Vancouver where his band would play. He played in numerous bands in North Dakota including a band with his three boys. He eventually retired his steel guitar from the night clubs and played Sunday mornings with family in the OSLC praise band.

He was able to look back at his days of being President of the Braunvieh Cattle Association, and the hard work he did to get the breed introduced to the U.S. market.

Ed could look back and be proud of his years at Thrivent. He had developed the specialty of Estate Planning for farmers. He held seminars all across the upper midwestern U.S. and had literature published by Thrivent. In 2011, Ed was inducted into the Thrivent Hall of Fame (one of his proudest moments.)

Ed could reflect on his time with family. He loved his wife, Pat, with all his heart. He enjoyed farm weekends with grandkids, bonfires with guitars after branding day, ski trips to Montana, trips to Twins games with grandkids, driving the pastures, tagging calves, or everyone’s favorite, fixing fence on a Sunday. But most of all, he always enjoyed reading the “Christmas Story” from the Bible to the entire family on Christmas Eve.

With the lack of mobility, Ed could actually watch his Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Twins on television, rather than listening to them on the tractor radio.

Ed fell asleep one last time in the house he built, on the farm he tended and loved, as his son and wife read him Psalms. He will be missed but celebrated.

His loving family includes: wife of 34 years, Patricia; children, Michael Haugen of Woodbury, MN, Mark (Kim) Haugen of Minot, Jonathan (Norine) Haugen of Bismarck; step-children, Kristen (Dave) Ringler of Ham Lake, MN, Steve (Cris) Dahl of Otsego, MN, Carin (Don) Huizenga of Anoka, MN, Brian (Donna) Dahl of Berthold, Charli (Eric) Bloomer of Charlotte NC; grandchildren, Dalton Haugen, Justin (Michaela) Haugen, Leah (Eric) Brown, Sarah Haugen, Abby (Drew) Ellison, Katie Haugen, and Jacob Haugen; step-grandchildren, Elise (Ben) Dingman, Alexis and Oliva Ringler, Sam and Ben Dahl, Emily and Michael Huizenga, Breanna Haspert, Makalya Huizenga; great-grandchildren, Anna and Emma Haugen, Argy and Alan Haugen; sisters, Shirley Larsen, Christine Shipton, Clare (Jack) Dendinger; sisters-in-law, Lynne Mullins, Debby Novotny, Gwynne Roadfeldt; brother-in-law, Bob (Kay) Harders, Jr. and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers-in-law, Bob Larsen and Jim Shipton.

Special Prelude Music by OSLC Praise Band: starting at 10:30 a.m.

Funeral: Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Minot.

Interment: Wildrose Cemetery, Berthold, ND.

Visitation: Friday from 5-7 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

Memorials: are preferred to Our Savior Lutheran Church Music Department.

The Service will be livestreamed for the public to view and can be accessed by going to the Our Savior Lutheran Church website: https://www.oslcminot.com/watch

Those wishing to sign the online register and share memories may access the online obituaries section at (www.thompsonlarson.com).

Published by The Minot Daily News, September 19, 2023.