Doreen Mae (Prekker) Haglund

Doreen Haglund, 69, of Pennock formerly Murdock, died Friday, April 5, 2024, at CentraCare Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.

Her memorial service will be 11 a.m., Saturday, April 20, at Bethesda Lutheran Church near Murdock. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, April 19 at Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar with Words of Remembrance being shared at 7 p.m.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.  Burial will be at a later date.

Doreen Mae Prekker was born May 15, 1954 in Benson, Minnesota. The daughter of Louis and Dorothy (Anderson) Prekker. She was baptized and confirmed at Calvary Lutheran in Murdock, Minnesota. Doreen grew up in Murdock and attended the public school there for all 12 years and graduated with the class of 1972. Upon completion of high school, she attended Willmar Vocational school in the Medical Secretary program. Nearing her completion of the program, she did an internship at Rice Hospital in the Administration Department. While graduating from Willmar Vocational and during her internship, she was hired by Rice Hospital and remained in Administration until her retirement in 2017. Doreen’s only time absent from working in Administration was during two short leave of absence periods after having both children. Most that knew her referred to her as a very devoted employee. She loved her job and all the people she was in contact with! 

On March 22, 1975 Doreen married Ralph Haglund. This union was blessed with two children and 49 years of marriage. They started their lives together living in Willmar and then shortly before the first child, moved to the Murdock area. During that time, she taught Sunday School at her home church Calvary Lutheran in Murdock. Doreen remained a lifelong member until the unfortunate closing of the church. After 17 years of living in the Murdock area, Doreen and Ralph returned to Willmar for six years, before they finally landed on a country place in rural Pennock. Doreen often referred to this place as her dream home.

Doreen had an interest in antiques and began collecting them along with other collectable items. Her favorite was to attend auctions, especially if Abner Jacobson was the auctioneer. Doreen quickly learned at his auctions to not set her purse down on the hayrack, because Abner would pick it up and try selling it! With being a collector, it was not long that her home and storage areas were overcrowded. She decided to open a small-time business of renting a space in Marilyn's Attic and Bell Tower Antiques in Spicer. Doreen would work in those stores on weekends and absolutely loved working there. Plus, she also loved the benefit of receiving a 10% discount on anything in the store! 

Doreen also contributed a helping hand to her and Ralph’s race horse business. She did anything from cleaning the stalls to washing water and feed buckets. Doreen always tried her best to attend the races no matter if they were racing in Minnesota, Iowa, Oklahoma, or even Indiana. 

For her family, Doreen was an amazing mom to her two children. In the children’s young ages she got them ready for daycare, dropped them off, and always got herself to work on time, putting in at least an eight-hour work day. She was full of energy! Later, came six grandchildren, which added more to her already busy life. Doreen could not miss a sporting event, school activity, or a birthday party. Christmas shopping for grandchildren presented another challenge because she wanted to make sure each grandchild was given a gift and had to keep all their gifts to the same penny amount!

Doreen is survived by her husband, Ralph; children, Matthew (Kelli) Haglund of New London and Brittany (Justin) Oakes of Becker; six grandchildren, Kennedy, Anakin, and Isaac Haglund and Haylee, Hannah, and Carl Oakes; sister-in-law, Linda Turnquist; nephews, Gary, Allan, and Daryl Turnquist and Lane Prekker; nieces, Jan Luft and Julie Ellinghysen; and her Black Lab, Sammy.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Jim (Ann) Turnquist, Dennis Turnquist, Ron Prekker; mother and father-in-law, Wally and Hilde Haglund; and nephew, Troy Haglund.

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