Barbara Haugen

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 3:02 pm

Barbara Mae (Engan) Haugen, 74, of Spring Grove, Minn., died on Tuesday, May, 2, 2017, at home, with her children, Phyllis, Debrah and Jeffrey present, along with her brother Maynard Engan. Memorial services were Saturday, May 6, at 11 a.m. at Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church, rural Dorchester. Visitation was 10-11 a.m., also at the church. Burial was in the church cemetery. Pastor  James Scaife officiated.Visitation was one hour prior to services Saturday, at the church. Roble Funeral Home of Spring Grove assisted the family with arrangements.

Barbara was born Dec. 30, 1942, the daughter of Palmer and Alice (Nelson) Engan in Decorah. Barbara was baptized at Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church, rural Dorchester, April 15, 1943, and confirmed at Big Canoe Lutheran Church, Decorah, May 26, 1957. Barbara attended Spring Grove public school.  She lived in the area until she moved to Itasca Ill., in 1971, then to Bensenville, Ill., until she returned to rural Decorah (Quandahl) in 1998.

Two of the most important things to Barbara were to do right by God, and her children. With the love of God and her family, Barbara believed a person could get through the most difficult times in life. She believed that God and family made all of life’s pleasures even greater.

Barbara loved the country, right here in Southeast Minnesota, Northeast Iowa. She loved everything about this area: the beauty, her childhood memories, the people, her church and her place in Quandahl where she lived until just recently when she moved into town, Spring Grove.

For many of the years that Barbara lived in Quandahl, she had her sister Polly Stoen (Engan) and her brother  Maynard Engan lived on each side of her. She loved those days.

Barbara loved bringing her grandchildren to visit for weeks over the summer. Her greatest joys were making them chocolate malts, taking them for swimming lessons in Spring Grove, bringing them to Decorah for bowling, the movies and, of course, the Whippy Dip. She talked about those times over and over.

Oh, there was one last thing Barbara loved and that was a clean house. Even the dust wiped its feet or took off its shoes before coming inside. 

Barbara is survived by her daughters, Phyllis Nelson (Don) Bensenville, Ill. and Debrah Ralph (John) Bensenville, Ill.; and son, Jeffrey Tollefsrud (Nancy) Waterloo; nine grandchildren: Jeff B, Brandie, Jeff T, Jancy, Jennifer, Amy, Cory, Eric, Courtney; great-grandchildren: Jordan, Kyle, Arianna, Bryce and Izabella, Cameron (due date May 16,2017); and brother, Maynard Engan.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Palmer and Alice (Nelson) Engan; sister, Palma (Engan) Stoen; brothers: Selmer, Earl and Ernest Engan; niece, Sharon (Engan) Melver; nephews, Harlen Engan and Larry Stoen; great-nephews, Dustin Stoen and Ernie Engan, Jr.