William was born to Gilbert and Nora (Oppegaard) Hagen in 1913, on their farm in Pickeral Lake Township, rural Twin Lakes area in Freeborn County, Minnesota.
He was baptized in 1913 at Lunder Lutheran Church, and also confirmed there in 1927.
He married Gazena Baas in 1935, and they had five children.
He worked at Kansota Farms and farmed for his parents until in 1948, then bought a farm south of Twin Lakes. It had no buildings, because of a tornado that wiped all the buildings off some years earlier. He built all the buildings himself. They liked farming. Five children were born to them.
He enjoyed playing his fiddle and guitar. In his twenties, he played with a band, that included his brother Paul, at the Twin Lakes Dance Hall. He and Gazena visited with his uncles and they'd have dances, and roll up the rug in the living room at the uncle Conrad Oppegaard home. Most of his maternal uncles and grandfather Paul played fiddles.
Then by 1965 he retired from farming because of his health and moved to Albert Lea. He didn't like retirement, so he went back to work at the Lumber yard in Twin Lakes for a few more years. They then moved back to Twin Lakes.
God bless my wonderful father.
He was baptized in 1913 at Lunder Lutheran Church, and also confirmed there in 1927.
He married Gazena Baas in 1935, and they had five children.
He worked at Kansota Farms and farmed for his parents until in 1948, then bought a farm south of Twin Lakes. It had no buildings, because of a tornado that wiped all the buildings off some years earlier. He built all the buildings himself. They liked farming. Five children were born to them.
He enjoyed playing his fiddle and guitar. In his twenties, he played with a band, that included his brother Paul, at the Twin Lakes Dance Hall. He and Gazena visited with his uncles and they'd have dances, and roll up the rug in the living room at the uncle Conrad Oppegaard home. Most of his maternal uncles and grandfather Paul played fiddles.
Then by 1965 he retired from farming because of his health and moved to Albert Lea. He didn't like retirement, so he went back to work at the Lumber yard in Twin Lakes for a few more years. They then moved back to Twin Lakes.
God bless my wonderful father.
William was born to Gilbert and Nora (Oppegaard) Hagen in 1913, on their farm in Pickeral Lake Township, rural Twin Lakes area in Freeborn County, Minnesota.
He was baptized in 1913 at Lunder Lutheran Church, and also confirmed there in 1927.
He married Gazena Baas in 1935, and they had five children.
He worked at Kansota Farms and farmed for his parents until in 1948, then bought a farm south of Twin Lakes. It had no buildings, because of a tornado that wiped all the buildings off some years earlier. He built all the buildings himself. They liked farming. Five children were born to them.
He enjoyed playing his fiddle and guitar. In his twenties, he played with a band, that included his brother Paul, at the Twin Lakes Dance Hall. He and Gazena visited with his uncles and they'd have dances, and roll up the rug in the living room at the uncle Conrad Oppegaard home. Most of his maternal uncles and grandfather Paul played fiddles.
Then by 1965 he retired from farming because of his health and moved to Albert Lea. He didn't like retirement, so he went back to work at the Lumber yard in Twin Lakes for a few more years. They then moved back to Twin Lakes.
God bless my wonderful father.
He was baptized in 1913 at Lunder Lutheran Church, and also confirmed there in 1927.
He married Gazena Baas in 1935, and they had five children.
He worked at Kansota Farms and farmed for his parents until in 1948, then bought a farm south of Twin Lakes. It had no buildings, because of a tornado that wiped all the buildings off some years earlier. He built all the buildings himself. They liked farming. Five children were born to them.
He enjoyed playing his fiddle and guitar. In his twenties, he played with a band, that included his brother Paul, at the Twin Lakes Dance Hall. He and Gazena visited with his uncles and they'd have dances, and roll up the rug in the living room at the uncle Conrad Oppegaard home. Most of his maternal uncles and grandfather Paul played fiddles.
Then by 1965 he retired from farming because of his health and moved to Albert Lea. He didn't like retirement, so he went back to work at the Lumber yard in Twin Lakes for a few more years. They then moved back to Twin Lakes.
God bless my wonderful father.
