This is a photo of Lawrence taken 27 December 1994 (9:02 AM) displaying the results of that mornings orange juice squeezing project. Gayle took this picture and recalls the project involved 16 large glasses of juice from 63 oranges. He liked to spoil all that stayed overnight at the farm with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and a hot breakfast.
We would arise a few at a time on winter mornings during Christmas break and he would greet each new arrival with “your up so early and don’t cry” even though the time could be anywhere from 8 – 10 AM or even a little later. The breakfast was often fresh grated hash brown potatoes fried with a generous supply of butter, a special butcher shop sausage purchased in Estavan and pancakes or french toast. He enjoyed treating us (cooking for us) one or two at a time so he could visit with us individually and watch us enjoy his company and the special breakfast treat.
The following is the obituary for Gayle’s dad, Laurence E Hagen. He died 31 January 1999 at 88 years of age.
Laurence E. Hagen was born July 8, 1911 on the family farm in Garnet Township, Divide County to Andrew and Josie (Tollefson) Hagen. He attended a rural school until he was of age to assist his father on the family farm, as well as gain employment on neighboring farms. An industrious man, Laurence traveled out of state for work in the 1930’s when there was not work in his home community. Stories of riding the rails, hitchhiking, picking apples in Washington, and sleeping in haystacks in Minnesota entertained family and friends.
In the 1930’s work led him to the Badlands where he helped build a road with the Civilian Conservation Corps in the north unit of Roosevelt National Park.
Laurence began his career in agricultural in the late 1930’s north of Alamo near his parent’s homestead. When twenty-nine he married Bernice J. Westerso in Miles City, Montana on September 21, 1940. They made their home on the Tom Larson farm in Divide County where they raised seven children.
Laurence and his brother, Roy, farmed together in the 1940’s using old, patched-up machinery and hauled raw crude from Shelby, Montana to fuel their tractors. He and his brothers, Roy and Fred, partnered in a car and farm equipment dealership in Williston and Laurence started his own road construction company in the 1950’s. During this time, his adventurous spirit drew him to flying a small airplane around the skies of Alamo. He continued farming until his death, through good times and bad, always-remaining optimistic and looking forward to the next season.
Laurence was an avid reader of world and pioneer history, and current events. He read the Bible daily; cultivating a deep faith that gave him quit strength at his life’s end. He was interested in politics and his lifelong love of music gave him enjoyment. He was devoted to his family, friends and acquaintances, all which knew him benefited from his generous nature.
He is survived by his wife, Bernice, of Alamo; his children, Marilyn Olsen and her husband, Arne, of Williston, Gayle Axness and her husband, John, of Cedar Falls, IA, Lewis Hagen and his wife, Maureen, of Bozeman, MT, Clark Hagen and his wife, Gail, of Alamo, Delwyn Hagen of Kansas City, MO, Lynn Aaberg and her husband, Les, of Fortuna, and Lanette Gafkjen of Iowa City, IA; eleven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Laurence was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters; Bernice Rosten and Pearl White; and four brothers, Arnold, Norris, Roy and Fred Hagen.
We would arise a few at a time on winter mornings during Christmas break and he would greet each new arrival with “your up so early and don’t cry” even though the time could be anywhere from 8 – 10 AM or even a little later. The breakfast was often fresh grated hash brown potatoes fried with a generous supply of butter, a special butcher shop sausage purchased in Estavan and pancakes or french toast. He enjoyed treating us (cooking for us) one or two at a time so he could visit with us individually and watch us enjoy his company and the special breakfast treat.
The following is the obituary for Gayle’s dad, Laurence E Hagen. He died 31 January 1999 at 88 years of age.
Laurence E. Hagen was born July 8, 1911 on the family farm in Garnet Township, Divide County to Andrew and Josie (Tollefson) Hagen. He attended a rural school until he was of age to assist his father on the family farm, as well as gain employment on neighboring farms. An industrious man, Laurence traveled out of state for work in the 1930’s when there was not work in his home community. Stories of riding the rails, hitchhiking, picking apples in Washington, and sleeping in haystacks in Minnesota entertained family and friends.
In the 1930’s work led him to the Badlands where he helped build a road with the Civilian Conservation Corps in the north unit of Roosevelt National Park.
Laurence began his career in agricultural in the late 1930’s north of Alamo near his parent’s homestead. When twenty-nine he married Bernice J. Westerso in Miles City, Montana on September 21, 1940. They made their home on the Tom Larson farm in Divide County where they raised seven children.
Laurence and his brother, Roy, farmed together in the 1940’s using old, patched-up machinery and hauled raw crude from Shelby, Montana to fuel their tractors. He and his brothers, Roy and Fred, partnered in a car and farm equipment dealership in Williston and Laurence started his own road construction company in the 1950’s. During this time, his adventurous spirit drew him to flying a small airplane around the skies of Alamo. He continued farming until his death, through good times and bad, always-remaining optimistic and looking forward to the next season.
Laurence was an avid reader of world and pioneer history, and current events. He read the Bible daily; cultivating a deep faith that gave him quit strength at his life’s end. He was interested in politics and his lifelong love of music gave him enjoyment. He was devoted to his family, friends and acquaintances, all which knew him benefited from his generous nature.
He is survived by his wife, Bernice, of Alamo; his children, Marilyn Olsen and her husband, Arne, of Williston, Gayle Axness and her husband, John, of Cedar Falls, IA, Lewis Hagen and his wife, Maureen, of Bozeman, MT, Clark Hagen and his wife, Gail, of Alamo, Delwyn Hagen of Kansas City, MO, Lynn Aaberg and her husband, Les, of Fortuna, and Lanette Gafkjen of Iowa City, IA; eleven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Laurence was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters; Bernice Rosten and Pearl White; and four brothers, Arnold, Norris, Roy and Fred Hagen.
6 comments:
Your dad was a nice man with a lot of patience. I often think of how Lewis, Clark, and I would weld together toy construction equipment using cultivator spikes and other good parts from the parts bins in the shop. Your dad would find us out in the trees building roads,etc., with our home-made construction equipment and, rather than chew us out for ruining stuff, would just check out what we had made with some interest, joke around with us a bit, and then leave us to our enterprise. I remember one time when we helpfully painted some of the trucks being sold at auction with house paint to make them look better. I'm sure they looked pretty bad after we finished with them, but, if your dad said anything, I'm sure it was positive. One time Clark and I were cutting some metal with an acetylene torch and set a can of gas on fire that was setting inside the shop on the floor. There's no doubt we would have burned the shop down had it not been for Boyd and another guy (working for your dad on a cat just outside the door) who put it out. Laurence didn't say anything to us about that. I think he was just happy that we were having fun doing (semi) constructive things. All in all, your dad wasn't just a man, he was a prince among men. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who still looks up to him.
I remember him driving David and I sometimes to town...for school or whatever and we would be in the backseat...he would fly over the hills and we would be shriking in the backseat with laughter...I think we literally flew over some of those hill tops!!! He was such a gentle soul and as David said, a Prince amoung men.
I see the two different spellings of your dad's name...Seems now I remember seeing Laurence...but I always did it the usual way...is there some history to the spelling? Is the Lau the Norwegian way...perhaps a long lost relative in Norway? Just curious. Also...I would love to get the Norway side involved...can you email me some emails so I can invite them into the blog?
Thanks Janie and David for the nice comments that you shared about dad. I only remember once when he was upset with Lewis and that is after he branded me with the cigar lighter in the car. Even then he didn't say much but we knew he was disappointed with Lewis. We always wanted to please dad so it only took "don't do that kids" and we would listen. Poor mom hd to play the heavy all the time. Dad's name is spelled Laurence. He may have been named after Grandma's brother Lauritz.
Dad's name was Laurence at birth, but he always wrote his name with an extra loop and consquently it was taken as Lawrence. Dad wasn't much of a letter writer. When I was in college he didn't have much in the extra change to share, but would send me a letter that would make me excited to hear from him. There would be maybe a five dollar bill enclosed with a short note "pop money" Love Dad.
I think it is great he wrote to you...I do not recall Dad ever writing a letter to me in college but just like your Dad he loved to drive so would drive across the state and back again in a day...I was in Grand Forks. He would just ask if I wanted to come home...no problem...pretty amazing! Wonder why they both loved to drive? I surely did not inherit that factor at all! I fall asleep at the wheel!
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