David Hagen

David Leon Hagen, 92, passed away peacefully on July 25, 2026 at the Minnesota Veterans Home - Fergus Falls while under hospice care.

David was born on December 8, 1933, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin to Reverend Elmer and Alma (Holm) Hagen. He was baptized by his father, who was serving Bethesda Lutheran Brethren Church. In 1935 his family moved to Osakis, Minnesota where his father served as the pastor for Elim Lutheran Church, Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church and Sarepta Home. David was confirmed by his father at Elim Lutheran Church.

David attended school in Osakis through his junior year of high school, and graduated from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls, Minnesota in1951. The following year he attended the Lutheran Brethren Seminary prior to enlisting in the United States Air Force in November 1952.

On May 9,1953 David was united in marriage to Gerda Kristiansen of Brooklyn, New York, whom he had first met during his senior year of high school while on a Hillcrest choir tour of the east coast and began corresponding with her. Gerda attended a semester at the Lutheran Brethren Bible College in 1952 while he was attending the seminary, and it was there that their relationship blossomed.

When he enlisted David thought he might serve as a chaplain or chaplain's assistant, but the Air force point him toward a different career. While enlisted in the U.S. Air Force he served as instructor of jet aircraft mechanics in Amarillo, Texas, and in 1955 was transferred to Kaufbeuren Air Force Base in Germany where he taught the German Luftwaffe jet aircraft mechanics under the Military Defense Assistance Program. He was released from active duty in October 1956, continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves and was honorably discharged in October 1960.

From 1959 to 1975 David was employed by Pam American World Airways. He began his career at Pan Am as an aircraft mechanic and later moved into successive management positions. His last position at Pan Am was that of Manager of Facility Planning for 32 airport locations around the world. During these years he was also very active in the churches he and his family attended, including 59th Street Lutheran Brethren Church in Brooklyn, New York and Bethel Lutheran Brethren in Huntington Station, New York where he served as a Deacon, Trustee and on the Board of Elders.

From 1976 to 1981 David served as a licensed lay pastor for Immanuel Lutheran Brethren Church in Jewell, Iowa. While in Jewell he also served as chaplain of a local nursing home, completed his Bachelor of Science degree at Iowa State University, started coursework toward a graduate degree in Family Counseling and worked as a Journeyman Diesel Machinist for Chicago Northwestern Railroad.

In 1981 David was offered the position of Alumni Relations Director for the Lutheran Brethren Schools in Fergus Falls. He served as the first Alumni Relations Director for Lutheran Brethren
Schools in Fergus Falls from 1981 to 1984. He completed a second bachelor's degree in Long Term Care Administration from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota in 1987 and spent the final decade of his varied professional career as a Nursing Home Administrator.

In preparation for retirement David and Gerda built a house on 40-acres of land located outside New Richmond, Wisconsin and became hobby farmers. Together they raised chickens, dairy sheep and many other animals. He served on the board of the Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative for two years. David and Gerda also enjoyed planting and tending a very large vegetable garden. They often grew more produce than they could consume or give away to friends and family and sold the excess at the local farmer's market. Between 1987 and 2012 they were active members of Ebenezer Lutheran Brethren Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

They sold their farm in 2012 and moved to Appleton, Wisconsin to be closer to their daughter, Sue, and her husband Greg. In Appleton they enjoyed worshipping at Hope Lutheran Brethren Church. They lived in Appleton until Gerda's passing in February 2020. The following summer David returned to Fergus Falls where he enjoyed renewing old friendships and making new friends while living in the Village Cooperative and worshipping as a member at Bethel Lutheran. Following a series of small strokes and declining health, David moved into the Minnesota Veterans Home - Fergus Falls in August 2024.

David loved being around people, making new friends, sharing stories of his youth and sharing the gospel. He enjoyed worshiping through music and sang in many choirs and quartets. He often sang in a duet with his wife and enjoyed listening to their practice recordings after she passed away. His hobbies included photography, oil painting, woodworking, gardening and caring for a variety of animals while living on their farm.

David is survived by four children, Gary (Barb), Wayne (Beckie), Susan (Greg), and David Jr. (Brenda); nine grandchildren, Tim (Stephanie), Kristen (Josh), Heather (Matthew), Joshua (Todd), Carl (Kristi), Matthew (Janelle), Eric, Adam (Rania), Stephen (Christie), eighteen great-grandchildren, his sister, Joann Swensen, and sisters-in-law Ragnhild Salim, Sigrid Hagen and Bettina Hagen; and many nieces and nephews.

David was preceded in death by his wife, Gerda (Kristiansen) Hagen, brothers Lloyd Hagen and James Hagen, brothers-in-law Reverend Raymond Salim and Russell Swensen, nephew Richard Salim and infant nephew John Lyle Swenson.

Many thanks to his caregivers at the Veterans Home for the past two years, to his hospice caregivers, and to the residents of the Veterans Home who befriended him. A special thanks to Chaplain Paul Hohncke, with whom he enjoyed sharing a connection to Elim Lutheran Church in Osakis, to Pastor Rich Iverson for ministering to him, and to Bethel parish nurses, Laurie Nash and Bonnie Huckeby for taking him to many Sunday morning services at Bethel Church and faithfully continuing to visit him when he was no longer able to attend those services.

Celebration of Life: 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls. A public visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Lunch and fellowship will follow the service.

Clergy: Chaplain Paul Hohncke officiating. Internment: Elim Lutheran Church Cemetery, Osakis. Burial will take place at 3:00 p.m.

Memorials may be made to Hillcrest Academy, Bethel Lutheran Church of Fergus Fall, Elim Lutheran Church of Osakis or the Minnesota Veterans Home - Fergus Falls.

John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

John 5:24 "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

Blessed be his memory.

Arrangements are provided by the Olson Funeral and Cremation in Fergus Falls.

Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com