Arlene Hagen, age 79, a retired Chester area cook, died on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007, from complications of pneumonia at the Marias Medical Center in Shelby.
Her funeral service will be 11 a. m. Monday at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Chester. Arlene was born Dec. 12, 1927 at Kratka Township, in Pennington County in Minnesota. She was one of eleven children born to Clara Troness and Henry Runnestrand. Arlene was baptized at home by Rev. E. O. Sabo and was confirmed at the Telemarken Lutheran Church. She grew up on the family farm and attended the Meadowlark country school through grade eight, then beganworking as a waitress in Thief River Falls. She met her husband-to-be, Alfred T. “Al” Hagen, and they were married Nov. 21, 1953, by Reverend Sabo at Kratka Township. Soon after, they moved to Montana where Al worked first as a farm laborer, then assisted in the construction project at Tiber Dam south of Chester. Arlene worked as homemaker and mother to their son, Randy. The Hagens were married 18 years when Al died on March 25, 1971. In those early years in the Chester community Arlene worked as a cook in several local restaurants. In the years before her retirement in 1994, she worked as the head cook & dietary supervisor at the Liberty County Hospital/ Nursing Home. She lived in her Chester home until age 75, then transferred to the Sweetgrass Lodge. Following several hospitalizations this past year, Arlene was sent to the Marias Nursing Center in Shelby on July 11 for extended care. Arlene was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Chester where she enjoyed quilting with the church women and making lefse for church holidays. She had also been active in the local Royal Neighbors of America and the Sons of Norway. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sisters Annie Runnestrand, Hazel and Cora Nabben, and Evelyn Schwartz), and brothers Louis, Roy, Henry Jr., and Raymond Runnestrand. Arlene is survived by her son, Randall Hagen of Great Falls; two grandchildren; sisters, Lorraine and Marilyn Sletten, both of Thief River Falls, Minn.; and numerous nieces and nephews. Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel of Chester
