Donald Haugenoe

Crosby

Donald Morris Haugenoe, 76 years old, died Friday, August 15, 2025, in Crosby, ND after a 21-year, hard-fought battle with cancer. A family service will be held at 7:00pm on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at Ambrose Lutheran Church, and the funeral will be 4:00pm on Sunday, August 24, 2025 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Crosby. Inurnment will follow at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in rural Ambrose.

Don was born to Oscar and Emma (Sortland) Haugenoe, along with his twin brother Doug, on September 17, 1948, in Crosby, North Dakota. He and Doug joined five older siblings, Edward, Roger, Elaine, Nancy and Donna, on the family farm in Twin Butte Township in Divide County, where he was born, raised, and lived most of his life.

Don attended the Twin Butte country school through 6th grade, then went on to Crosby High School where he graduated in 1966. From there, he and Doug went on to attend Dickinson State College, where he was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity. In 1968, while still attending college, Don started farming and ranching, and the rest is history. He raised small grains, cattle and hogs.

In the summer of 1970, Vicki Svangstu danced into his life at the Ambrose all-school reunion, and one year later, on June 19, 1971, they were married at Concordia Lutheran Church in Crosby and spent the next 54 years dancing through life together. A true farming family, Don and Vicki farmed and ranched together, along with raising their three children, Amber, Kara and Levi.

During some of the dry years in the 80’s, he also worked for Sorum’s Westland and the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation office, measuring grain bins for farmers’ grain loans and later inspecting CRP acres for weeds. Later, he and Vicki managed Booming Prairie Rentals, where they had several rental properties during the oil boom.

When he wasn’t working, Don was no doubt spending time watching sports! He especially loved watching his kids and grandkids play all the sports, including hockey, basketball, football, baseball and any other activity they were in. He also coached Levi’s hockey team for many years alongside his friend, Brad Vassen. He was also a “fan-addict” of the Minnesota Vikings and the Twins, and he was known to plan all other activities around their games. When he wasn’t watching sports, he was an avid hunter, as well as fisherman, spending many weekends at Pouch Bay on Lake Sakakawea with good friends, Eugene and Lonnie Johnson. In his early years, he played for the Big Dipper Lounge softball team in Fortuna. After he retired, he had more time to play cards and games, playing whist and pinochle regularly. He was especially proud of his pinochle double rope that he got while playing with his buddies at the “pinochle palace” north of Crosby.

Don served the community in several ways, including the Twin Butte Township Board and Ambrose Church Council. He was also very proud of the “tree project” at Immanuel Cemetery, where he helped organize the fundraising, planting and watering of dozens of trees in recent years, calling on family and friends to help.

Don spent his life doing the things he loved, stewarding the land, fields or garden, tending to animals great and small, spending time with his family and watching sports, and up to his very last day, where he picked his last bucket of chokecherries.

Don is survived by his wife of 54 years, Vicki of Crosby, daughters Amber Haugenoe (Art Larson) of Crosby, and Kara (Ryan) Vetter of Minot, and son Levi (Shana) Haugenoe of Crosby; grandchildren Rhys Johnson of Ambrose, Kyrian Johnson of Williston, Sarah (Gunner) Jensen and great grandson Reed of Minot, Andrew Vetter of Minot, and Tate, Brodie, Maddyn and Sutton Haugenoe of Crosby; as well as twin brother Doug of Lovell, Wyoming; sister Nancy (Elgin) Burns of Soap Lake, WA; sisters-in-law Linda Bakewell of Fargo, Lana Ferris of Fridley, MN, Robin Pretzer of Gilbert, MN, Kris Svangstu and Diane Svangstu of Crosby; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law Oscar and Maureen Svangstu; brothers Edward and Roger; sisters Elaine (Ken) Kinstler and Donna (Bruce) Kroshus; and brothers-in-law Ole and Bob Svangstu, Stuart Bakewell and Timm Pretzer.

Published by The Minot Daily News, Thursday, Aug 21, 2025.