Lyla Hagen Obituary (1944

In the evening of December 20, 2022, Lyla Arlene Hagen died at the age of 78. Lyla was born to Melvin and Hazel Hagen of Maddock, North Dakota on June 27, 1944. She graduated from BCATS in Maddock, ND in 1962. When she was young, Lyla was nicknamed "Hippo" by her little sister when they were quarreling, and the nickname stuck for life. Lyla was devoted to her family throughout her life. She was a great help to her mom, particularly after 1974 when her dad died. They worked on the farm together raising hogs and other livestock for a few years until her mom moved into Maddock. She liked doing farm work. Lyla did a lot of field work when she was young, and she also did some for her twin brother, Lyle, who had taken over the farm. They were very close. During those years, Lyla was the caretaker at the Viking Lutheran church for a period of time. She had a deep love for that church. Hippo enjoyed playing softball and golf, and she had a great sense of humor. She was clever, uninhibited, and creative. She was truly an entertainer. Lyla loved to make people laugh. When she would make a funny face, especially when a photo was taken of her, everyone in and out of the photo would soon be laughing hysterically. The Maddock community still remembers her for the entertainment she gave to many, especially in the Bicentennial parade of 1976. She dressed as an old lady, carried a gunny sack purse, and rode around throughout the entire parade on an old bed mounted on a riding mower that was built for her by Jay Rice. She loved to tell jokes and speak in Pig Latin with her sister or cousins. She would break people up when she would play the piano and sing the Northern Tissue jingle. Lyla's uncanny ability to create words had a lifelong effect on her nieces and nephews. Each one of them had a unique nickname given to them by Aunt Hippo and they all shared many moments filled with laughter and joy throughout their childhoods. She was a collector of all kinds of trinkets, many in the form of hippos or pigs that delighted her nieces and nephews. Lyla's gifts of humor and good nature created the sunshine she spread throughout her life. Lyla worked at many jobs. After high school, she attended Interstate Business college in Fargo. She then worked at various offices, including Accounts and Purchases at the State Capitol in Bismarck before returning to Maddock in the early 1970's. She later worked at jobs at Cooperstown, ND, and then began working as a legal secretary for the Traynor Law Firm in Devils Lake in 1984. She stayed until 1994 when she moved to Bismarck. She and the lawyers and staff had fond memories of each other. Lyla worked at several law firms in Bismarck, including Wheeler Wolf, and also did other office work. Lyla met Sylvia Stoxen, who was recently divorced, in the late 1980s, and they became lifelong friends and housemates. They moved to Bismarck in 1994 and enjoyed their flower gardens and their dogs, which were given remarkable names. Sylvia attended all the Hagen gatherings with Hippo, from weddings to graduations or just fun family get-togethers. Lyla was preceded in death by her father, Melvin; her mother, Hazel; her twin brother, Lyle; her sister, Donna; her brother, Dan; her niece, Sharon Fossum; and her brother-in-law, Dennis Fossum. She is survived by her sister, Helene; her brother, Leland; nephews, Jeffrey Fossum, Robert Fossum, Craig Ehnert, Michael Ehnert, Scott Ehnert, and Andrew Hagen; and nieces, Christie Jaeger, Jennifer Kunz, Sandra Johnson, and Rebecca Watson; and many great-nephews and great-nieces, many cousins, and many friends, including her housemate, Sylvia Stoxen. Funeral arrangements are made through DaWise Perry, Mandan, North Dakota with the assistance of the Nelson Funeral Home in Maddock. Funeral services at the Viking church, Maddock, ND will be announced in the future. The family recommends that memorials be given to the Viking church cemetery fund, or any other charitable organization.