Joyce Haug

Winnefred Joyce Haug, 92, formerly of Hawley, Minnesota, passed away April 12, 2021, at Eventide on Eighth in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Joyce was born Jan. 20, 1929, in Kittson County, Minnesota, the youngest of five children born to William and Judith Williamson.

Joyce was active in 4-H during her youth and developed a fondness for sewing that would continue throughout her life.

She attended country schools through the eighth grade, and graduated from Lancaster High School in 1948 as salutatorian of her class. That fall she enrolled at Aaker’s Business College in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and after completing her coursework took a job at the Grand Forks City Water Department. She later worked at the Office of Price Stabilization in Fargo.

In 1951 she met Gustav Haug during an evening with friends at Clyde’s Barn Dance near Moorhead. A courtship ensued, and Gustav and Joyce were married June 6, 1953.

They farmed south of Hawley on the Andrias Heiberg homestead, first in partnership with Gustav’s parents. They bought the farm in 1963 and continued dairy and grain farming until their retirement. In 1972 the Haug family received the Dairy Farm Family Award for Clay County.

Joyce was instrumental in reorganizing the Skree 4-H Club in 1965, and all four of the Haug children — Arlen, Lynnette, Rodney and Wayne — were active in 4-H. Joyce served as a project leader for many years.

She served as the treasurer of Skree Township for 48 years. Joyce also was very active with Gran Lutheran Church, where she served on the church council, was on the board of the women’s auxiliary groups many times, and taught Sunday School and Bible School. In the late 1990s she was a board member of the Clay County Historical Society.

Joyce poured her heart and soul into raising her family, and made sure they had every opportunity to be involved in school and church activities, whether it was band, 4-H, FFA, class plays, declamation and other extracurriculars.

Sewing was a constant in her life. She made clothes for herself and her children, and later in life became a skilled quilter. Through the years she worked alongside her church circle members to make quilts for Lutheran World Relief.

Once the kids were raised, she began weaving rugs on an antique loom she purchased, and she loved to exhibit all kinds of crafts and baked goods at the Clay County Fair, where she gathered many champion ribbons through the years.

The frugality she developed as a child during the Great Depression would follow Joyce her entire life. She was a recycler and an upcycler decades before repurposing items became trendy. That’s why quilting and rug making were so appealing: she could use all the scraps!

Joyce will be remembered as a hard worker, and a kind and caring wife and mother who always went the distance to provide for her family and serve her community and God.

Joyce is preceded in death by her husband Gustav, sisters Evelyn and May, and brother Jerald.

She is survived by a sister, Doris (Sigurd) Severinson, of Ulen, Minnesota; three sons, Arlen, of Hamden, Connecticut; Rodney (Sharon), of rural Hawley; and Wayne (Becky) of Moorhead; daughter Lynnette (Tim) Hintze of Whitefish, Montana; six grandchildren: Daniel, Christopher and Evan Haug, Stephanie Simon, Heather Hintze and Deanna Mackin, one great-granddaughter, Marlena Mackin, and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be on Sunday, April 18, from 4:00  to 6:00 P.M., at Wright Funeral Home in Hawley. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 19, at 11:00 A.M. at Gran Lutheran Church, south of Hawley. A livestream of the funeral will be available here on Joyce’s obituary page starting at 11:00 A.M. Burial will follow at Gran Lutheran Cemetery.

Memorials may be sent in Joyce’s memory to Gran Lutheran Church, 10501 MN-32 S. Hawley, MN 56549.