Roger Hagen

Roger Hagen, 90, Bismarck, passed away August 30, 2023. A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM Friday, September 8, 2023 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 106 Osage Ave, Bismarck.

Family will greet guests from 5:30-6:30 PM, Thursday, September, 7, 2023 at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck. A prayer service will begin at 6:30 PM.

Burial will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Bismarck.

Roger was born on March 19, 1933 in Devils Lake, the son Ernest and Mildred (Bryn) Hagen. He spent his first seven years on the family farm west of Devils Lake with his parents, siblings as well as five bachelor uncles and two bachelor great-uncles. The family moved to Harvey and later moved to Rolla where his father was employed.

In 1944 Roger traveled with his mother and younger brother Boyd to Paso Robles, California, where his father was in the Army at Camp Roberts. After the war, they moved to Alexandria, Minnesota to be reunited with his older brother Bruce his sister Marilyn who were staying with their grandparents. The family eventually returned to Devils Lake where they established a neighborhood grocery store. Roger attended three different schools over three states in one year and never missed a day of school.

After high school graduation in Devils Lake, he enrolled in college at the University of North Dakota and graduated in 1956. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Following college, he was employed as a county engineer for Ramsey County for three years. He was united in marriage to Marilyn Tweten in 1956. They moved to Dickinson in 1959 where he was employed by St. Regis Paper Company in sales and was later transferred to Bismarck as the state manager of the company. During his employment, he was named salesman of the year four times. He later worked for the Cretex company until his retirement in 1996. During his forty years of employment, he never missed a day of work and drove over two million miles without an accident. He received many distinguished awards and wrote several articles which were published in a national concrete magazine. Roger was selected to receive the Excellence in County Government award in 1997 by the ND Association of Counties. This was the first time this was awarded to an individual who was not a county employee or an elected official.

Roger’s many hobbies included golfing, fishing and hunting. He was a member of the Apple Creek Country Club for many years and enjoyed the group that always had dinner on Tuesday night at the club. He enjoyed many fishing trips with family and friends. Roger and Marilyn enjoyed traveling and when he retired, they spent many winters in Florida.

He was active in his church and taught Sunday school for many years. He joined the Elks Club on his 21^st birthday and was a life member. He was a member of the Bismarck Lions Club for 50 years. Proud of his Norwegian heritage, he was a member in the Sons of Norway. Among his travels, his favorite trip was to Norway where he visited his relatives in Lillehammer and Vinstra. A house his ancestors built in the year 900 is still part of a home that is occupied by some of his folks.

Roger is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marilyn; identical twin daughters, Beth (Ron) Wald, Bismarck, and Karen Grezaffi, Melbourne, FL; grandson, Roger, Melbourne, FL; brothers, Bruce Hagen, Bismarck, and Dr. Boyd Hagen, Lakota; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Marilyn Pederson.