Wayne E. Hagen

Wayne E. Hagen, 82, of Belgrade, died Friday, November 05, 2021 at his home near Belgrade.  Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 12, 2021 at Crow River Lutheran Church near Belgrade.  Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, November 11, 2021 at the Johnson Funeral Home in Belgrade.  Burial will be in the church cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Crow River Lutheran Cemetery.

Wayne Elmer Hagen was born on September 20, 1939,  on the family farm in Colfax Township near Belgrade the son of Elmer and Mabel (Olson) Hagen. He was baptized October 22, 1939, confirmed August 30, 1953, and a lifelong member of Crow River Lutheran Church. Wayne attended a rural country school and then Belgrade High School. After leaving high school, he helped his family on the generational dairy farm and drove a milk truck for the Belgrade Creamery. Around the age of 20, Wayne started doing road construction for Dependable Surfacing out of St. Paul. In 1963, he was drafted into the United States Army. He served as a communications specialist in Darmstadt, Germany transmitting radio communications from Vietnam to the United States until 1965, when he earned his honorable discharge as Sergeant of the Charlie Company 93D Signal Battalion. After returning, Wayne continued to work with Dependable Surfacing building roads throughout Minnesota. On April 16, 1966, Wayne was united in marriage to Patricia Paulson in Minneapolis. This union was blessed with two sons and a daughter. The family made their home off the Goat Ridge section of the Glacial Ridge Trail in Colfax Township. Here Wayne raised beef cattle and grew crops. He also worked the generational dairy farm a couple miles down the road with his parents and then independently until 1998. He continued to raise beef cattle and grow crops for several more years. Wayne was an active member of the Crow River Lutheran Church being on the council and cemetery boards. He also served on the Belgrade Coop Board and was a member of the New London Legion. In retirement, Wayne enjoyed visiting and telling stories over coffee at the local cafes, lunch at the KaDe Shack, and at the Sales Barn on Thursdays. Throughout the years, Wayne often went to the Belgrade Nursing Home to see friends and sometimes take them along for a drive and to go have coffee.

Wayne passed away at home under hospice care and surrounded by family on November 5, 2021, at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia; children, Charles (Sally) of San Angelo, TX, Warren (Liz) of Willmar, and Ann Marie (Tyler) of New London; grandchildren, Christopher, Nicholas, Samuel, Grace, and Abby; and sister, Mavis (Fred) Donath. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Mary Lou Jensen.

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