Bob, Shirley, Sophie

Sadly, I received a phone call from Don Haugen last Friday that Bob Larsen has passed away. Bob was Shirley Haugen’s husband of 50+ years and I know he will be greatly missed. They had a wonderful 50th Anniversary celebration/Family Reunion that we attended in Idaho several years ago.

Last summer we had time to get to know Bob & Shirley better at the Medora Reunion. Bob was a delightful man with many stories from his time as a Judge in Glendive, Montana. He was easy to talk with, a real gentleman. Bob & Shirley enjoyed going to New Mexico for winters and returning to their home in Montana for most of the year.

Wade, Susan & I took Brooke & Rachel to the ND State Fair. What a nice event for the kids! Walking thru the livestock barns brought back fond memories for me as a child in New Hampshire. My folks used to take us to the Sandwich Fair in northern NH every summer; very similar to the ND State Fair in Minot.

Susan, Brooke, Wade ND State Fair

[caption id="attachment_75" align="alignnone" width="128" caption="Bet & Wade"][/caption]

Linda, Megan, Gillian & Rick Koechl

[caption id="attachment_77" align="alignnone" width="128" caption="Shirley & Brooke in Medora"][/caption]

Some of us rallied in Medora at The Buffalo Gap Ranch in July 08. Sadly we had a small turnout; but it worked out really well as we truly got to know each other better that way. My brother Don and Cousin Ed both did not get to attend, due to business issues. Deb Husar had to cancel for personal reasons.

Susan, Brooke, Rachel, Wade & I drove down from the farm.  Rick, Linda, Megan & Gillian were following us when we departed. We met with Bob & Shirley at The Ranch and all had dinner together the first night. Ole’s Ranch was perfect for the family reunion and we all enjoyed breakfast together daily.

Monday we shopped in Medora and the kids saw an authentic old-west jail. That evening we went to the Pitchfork Fondue overlooking the Badlands. The scenery was gorgeous, though I cannot recommend the Fondue Steak – would not do that again.

Tuesday the kids swam at the Pool, we all had lunch together at the same old cafe where we ate about 15 years ago with my Folks. This was the last time Wade & I had been to Medora, with my Mom & Dad back in the early 90’s (I think).  Bob highly recommended the food and we had a nice lunch.

Tuesday night we attended the Medora Musical which was of course stunning. Rachel & Megan got to run down on stage. The wind was whipping and the presentation was proudly American; like a Western pep-rally! What’s not to love about the Badlands in summer?

Attached below is the group pictures taken Wednesday morning as we departed for home.

Haugen Family Medora 0708

Well, this week we are all leaving to head out to North Dakota. Wade & I are arriving in Minot on Friday, July 18th. Don, Susan, Brooke & Rachel will arrive Wednesday (16th) late that night. Linda & Rick’s family are arriving in Minot on Friday as well.

Apparently the ND State Fair will also be in progress; so that should be a wonderful activity to attend on Saturday. Maybe we can have a little cookout at Ed & Pat’s place Saturday evening; although I have not yet asked them.

Sunday we can all drive to Medora and there is an Indian Casino that works out well for lunch mid-way. I had contacted Ole a month ago to discuss having a cookout at the Buffalo Gap Ranch on Sunday evening. Then we can make any further plans for additional activities in Medora.

Sadly, Jack & Clare will not be attending. They are actually here in South Carolina on vacation now; but they are at the opposite end of our State so visiting was not really an option. Charleston is about a 7-8 hour drive for us as we reside in the Upstate near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I apologize for the confusion regarding the rally time/place on Sunday the 20th. When I started scheduling this back in February, the Medora website showed July 20th as their Veterans Day Celebration. Then in May, it did not; so I switched up our plans to meet at the Ranch instead of the 2pm Country & Western Concert. Well now they DO show they are having their Veterans Day events, so our original schedule is back on.

No worries if you can’t make the 2pm Concert, just show up for supper at the Buffalo Gap Ranch on Sunday. See everyone there!

Bet

Hi Everyone – Ole called today from The Buffalo Gap Ranch. His PC crashed and the details are a bit fuzzy about who is reserved for our Reunion. He shows a reservation for:

• Ed & Pat Haugen
• Don & Susan Haugen
• DeeDee Larson & Family
• Kris Husar
• Bet & Wade Law
• Bob & Shirley – RV Site

Linda – He doesn’t show your reservation, so please call him before May 25th to re-confirm. Let me know if Marlea & Lyle Jr are attending.

Folks – He has only 10 rooms and shows 5 are reserved for our Reunion. He is getting requests for other reservations, so after May 25th, those rooms will no longer be available.

If you still want to attend, please Call Ole soon at 701-623-4200.

Click here for haugenreunionjuly08 schedule.

If you know of other relatives, please invite them to come too!

See you in July!

Bet Haugen Law
416 Fond du Lac Dr
Central, SC 29630
864-639-5523

Here are the directions from Pam at the Buffalo Gap Ranch:

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Hi Bet, If you are coming from Minot, go 6 miles west of Medora, get off interstate on exit 18, turn north and come in on the gravel road a little over one mile. The road will end right at the lodge. See you then, Pam

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Also – I have decided to order some ballcaps instead of T-Shirts. We will have 10 caps to give out that commemorate the 2008 Haugen Reunion with a group picture from our 2006 reunion.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Remember – we will start out by meeting at the Adolph Burkhardt Country Western Concert at the Medora Community Center on Sunday July 20th at 2pm.

If you don’t arrive until Monday, our next get together is Monday afternoon at 4pm for Bully The Play at The Old Town Hall Theater.

Monday evening we can all attend the Pitchfork Fondue. Tuesday folks can go golfing, horseback riding, shopping or drive through the Roosevelt National Park and see the buffalos.

Tuesday night we can all attend the Medora Musical at 8:30 pm at the Burning Hills Ampitheater. Seniors save 15%.

Uncle Lyle was a delightful man, the baby of the family. Because I grew up in New Hampshire, there is much I don’t know about my family from the Dakotas. Here is what I recall my mother telling me.

Uncle Lyle came East to visit my parents in the 1950’s and met a lady named Jane from either Boston or New York. Jane was a few years older than Lyle and apparently they were both ready to settle down and marry. Jane came from a Socialite, more wealthy background.

I remember going to visit Uncle Lyle & Aunt Jane in Minnesota when I was a little girl. In fact, my first memory in life was of my Father placing me on the back of a Shetland pony at their farm in Minnesota. My father and Uncle Lyle were pretty close, being the 2 youngest boys.

At some point, Uncle Lyle decided to leave Minnesota and move to British Columbia, Canada to homestead land. There was a program at that time that allowed American citizens to homestead in BC while retaining their American citizenship. My recollection is that they could file for free land and as long as they cleared 10% of it within 10 years, it was theirs.

My father and uncle spent many summers working together near Dawson Creek/Fort St John Area of British Columbia clearing the land. I don’t recall if Lyle had moved his family up to BC by then. I do recall my father would leave in the Spring and return in the Fall. He spent many summers “working in the bush” clearing land with a huge tractor and they would “windrow” the felled trees and burn them. Dad owned a Caterpillar up there with Lyle and it seemed to always break down and need repairs. My Mother & I would do daughter-mother stuff together in the summers and Mom would keep the house running while Dad was gone.

I don’t know how much land Lyle homesteaded, it must have been several thousand acres. I recall my Dad attempted to homestead 1600 acres; this meant he had to clear 160. He didn’t make it in time because it was tough country and the land ended up going back to the Canadian government I think.

Anyway…I digress. Uncle Lyle has 3 children: Linda Jane, Marlea and Lyle Jr. Linda is my age and I wish we could stay in touch better as we get along well. Linda married Rick Koechl and they have 2 children.  I am very much looking forward to seeing her again this July at our Reunion. Marlea married and divorced, she has a child named Morgan. “Little Lyle” now lives in Washington State I believe and I understand he will also be attending.

Lyle & Jane were married quite a long time until Jane passed away in the 80’s. Jane was a Librarian and I believe her daughter Linda is now a school teacher.

Recently, I found an old Christmas letter sent to me by Uncle Lyle from 1993. Lyle used to write the BEST Christmas letters and would always include a bit of family history at the end. I wish I had saved all of them! Here is an excerpt that he provided after our last reunion in 1992:

Ole Arnehaugen was born in 1828 in the Oslo area of Norway, later served as a fireman on a steamship, and migrated to Wangs, Minnesota where he filed for land. He felt the name was too long, so he dropped the “Arne”.

Nels Haugen was born in Wangs, Minnesota on February 16, 1872. He had no middle name so he took the O from his fathers name for a middle initial. Ida Nelsdaughter was born February 22, 1874 near Lund, Sweden. At fifteen, she migrated with her mother, sister Anne and brother Edward to Battle Lake, Minnesota.

Nels and Ida were married in 1893 and filed on land in Tolgen Township, Des Lacs, North Dakota in 1901. Three children were born in Minnesota and five were born in North Dakota.

Footnote: I found some old notes in a family bible written in either Norwegian or Swedish that was given to me by my Aunt Josephine. The notes are written in Norwegian (I think) and there is a reference made to her grandfather: Ole Nelson Haugen son of Nels Arnehaugen of Vaug-Valdrees, Norway (Sogning). Also something written that looks like: Tommar Mand with double dots over the o and a.

Victor was the 2nd male child, my father’s older brother. (Pictured at far left) Harold was the oldest boy (pictured far right), then there was Donald (my father, pictured Center) and Lyle the youngest shown front lower right). Victor married Alice and they lived near Berthold, ND and had 4 children: Shirley, Christine, Edwin & Claire.

As a child, I remember going to North Dakota and we stayed at Uncle Victor & Aunt Alice’s home. They had a farm across the road from the original Haugen Homestead in Ward County, North Dakota. This is about 20 minutes west of Minot. Alice was a lovely and quiet person who was always so pleasant…a petite Christian woman. Victor was a serious church-goer who played music and detested alcohol. This was probably because his father Nels was quite a heavy drinker who hid bottles in the dirt under the barn of his Livery Stables.

Shirley was their oldest daughter. She married Bob Larsen and they still live in Glendive, Montana. (Cannot recall how many children they have).

Christine married Jim Shipton and they lived in Dawson Creek, British Columbia (Canada). Jim died early and I cannot recall how many children they have.

Edwin is one of my relatives I have known the best. Eddie loves to play guitar and he is the one who continues to farm the original Haugen Homestead to this day. He is quite a family historian and works in Minot as a financial planner, selling insurance through a Lutheran agency. Ed was married to Mary Anne and they had 2 sons. They divorced back in the 80’s and Ed is now married to Pat (Dahl).

Clare married Jack Dendinger and they live in Fair Oaks, CA. They have no children and are very much alive and well.

While doing some other research recently, I located this information:

Norah Haugen married Kenneth Overby and they lived in West Concord, Minnesota. They had no children and both are deceased. I remember visiting them as a child. They were quiet and peaceful, a bit bland. Ed recalls they didn’t have much to do with the family and apparently Norah didn’t stay in touch very well.

Anne Pauline Heacock Arp – married to Earl Heacock of Stanley, North Dakota who died early. Later was friendly with a wonderful rancher named Ed Will of Stanley, North Dakota. My Cousin Ed tells me that Anne took care of Ed for many years until he died. She later moved to Minneapolis to be close to my Aunt Helen Gretz. She remarried to Dewey Arp and took care of him until he died. Anne had no children and died in 1987 after spending her final years in a nursing home. She left an Oil Royalty to her siblings that is still producing oil today. Ed recalls that Anne took care of her mother Ida out at the farm until she died.

Aunt Helen married Matt Gretz and lived in Minneapolis. They had one child Tommy who is still alive, but rather non-communicative. I recall Tommy had 2 children: Troy & Tanda.