Obituary: Antoinette R. "Toni" Hagener

Antoinette R. "Toni" Hagener, a long-time Havre resident, passed away at an assisted living facility in Helena, Montana, on March 21, 2017.

Toni was born in Buffalo, New York, Nov. 22, 1926, and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorada. Toni was an eager student, doing well in any of her pursuits. For a while she lived at the Grand Canyon while her dad worked seasonally at the historic El Tovar Hotel on the rim of the Canyon. While at the Grand Canyon with her father she hiked from the South Rim across the Canyon to the North Rim.

She learned to play the violin at a young age. She and her parents played as a trio with her father playing cello and mother playing piano. They played for church and family groups in Colorado Springs. After graduation from high school she attended the University of Denver where she met Louis "Lou" W. Hagener and they were married June 8, 1947. While still in Denver, Toni taught high school science.

Toni and Lou moved to Havre in 1948, where he took a teaching position at Northern Montana College, now Montana State University-Northern. Lou and Toni were a long-time institution with the college and the community of Havre. Recently, a collection of Native American artifacts that Toni and Lou had guarded at Northern since 1950 was organized into the Louis W. and Antoinette R. Hagener museum in the Vande Bogart Library.

Toni established the quality testing laboratory with Vita Rich Dairy in the early 1950s. This was one of the first dairy level testing labs to be established in Montana.

Toni was the first curator for the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum and was instrumental in establishing the original interpretation buildings at the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump, including building the structures herself. For her work at these sites, Toni earned national recognition. Toni was appointed to the board of Trustees of the Montana Historical Society in 1970, serving three terms and as board chair from 1977-79.

Toni was always interested in community activities and workings of government. She served on the school board, as a Hill County commissioner, and state representative as well as other boards and committees. During her time on the Hill County Commission she served as president of Montana Association of Counties and was an active member of the National Association of Counties.

Even before she was a representative, she was instrumental in establishing blue bunch wheatgrass as Montana's state grass.

Toni was actively involved in service organizations including American Association of University Women, League of Women voters, PEO and several others. For her work on community activities and in government she received numerous honors and awards.

Toni loved the out-of-doors and exploring. With her family she spent lots of time in the Bears Paw and at least once a year, Two Medicine in Glacier Park. Toni and Lou loved to travel, and took several tours to every state as well as Canada, China, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean and Africa. After her husband passed, and to satisfy her passion for history and archeology, she traveled in Europe, Egypt, Brazil, Cambodia, Laos, Jordan, Peru and Mexico. Had she not broken her hip and had a stroke she would still be wandering the world. Toni took pride that she could hike with the 30-year-olds when she was almost 70 at Machu Picchu, Peru.

Toni was a frequent speaker and author of articles on local history co-authoring several booklets with her husband including a history of Northern Montana College (MSU-Northern), and a 100-year review of the city of Havre's government.

She is preceded in death by both parents, Joseph and Angel Rader; her husband, Louis W. Hagener; and a son, James F. Hagener.

She is survived by sons Louis I. Hagener of Havre, M. Jeff (Debbie) Hagener of Helena; daughter, Annie (Scott) Cubberly of Olympia Washington; grandchildren, Kirstin, Ryan, Heidi, Prairie and Jessie; and five great-grandchildren.

Cremation has taken place, and a celebration of life is Tuesday, April 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. at the Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre with Ila McClenahan officiating.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

Please visit Toni's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

The family wishes to thank the Northern Montana Care Center and Renaissance Senior Assisted Living for the care provided to Toni.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to: Friends of Beaver Creek Park (P.O. Box 2604, Havre, MT 59501), the MSU-Northern Hagener Scholarship fund (P.O. Box 1691, Havre, MT 59501), or a worthy cause that Toni believed in.