Hans Haugen was the son of John H. Haugen and the grandson of Hans J. Haugen. This made him the third generation of Haugens in America. Hans J. Haugen emigrated from Norway and he came to Griggs County, North Dakota, in 1882, to homestead and farm the rich soil in Dakota Territory. His father John H. Haugen, homesteaded in the same locality. Hans was born November 3, 1906, in the new house that his father had built on the present farm-site. This was where Hans grew up and received his basic education in the Haugen School. He later took a business course at the Interstate Business College in Fargo, North Dakota. Hans may have gotten his love of travel and adventure at a very early age. When he was only two years old, he and his sister, Sophie, went to Norway with their parents to pick up Grandma Aase, who came to live at the Haugen home.
On June 24, 1932, Hans married Maxine Qualey of Cooperstown. She had been a teacher in the Haugen School. They became farmers in the community. They had four children all of whom were born in North Dakota. James was born June 8, 1933; Darryl, March 26, 1935; Janet, February 15, 1939; and Vicki, April 10, 1952.
The drought of the '30s forced the family to look for a different means of livelihood so in 1936, they moved to Anaconda, Montana, where at $19.40 a week they had found wealth and security working in the smelter. During World War II, they moved to Tacoma, Washington, to do their part to help win the war that would end all wars. Hans was a welder on the big ships and Maxine was a tool-room clerk to check out necessary equipment for the ship builders. After the war ended and the workers were laid off, Hans and Maxine and the family returned to North Dakota. Hans became a grain buyer and Maxine went back to the school room.
By this time the family was grown and educated and ready to start their individual lives. On March 18, 1951, James married Audrey Bruns of Hannaford. They have five children: Steven, Kari Grode, Joni Stevie, Lori Haugen and Staci Russel. On March 24, 1961, Darryl married Judith Stenslie of Watford City. They have two daughters, Kris and Jody. In February 1957, Janet married Robert Garlie of Hannaford and they had one son, Robert Jay. Vicki is not married.
Hans and Maxine loved Montana and the mountains. In 1965, Hans, Maxine and Vicki, moved to Columbia Falls, Montana, located only 20 miles from Glacier National Park, right in the heart of the Rockies. Here Maxine taught for another 20 years and Hans sold Fords until he had a crippling stroke November 11, 1975. He passed away December 30, 1977, at the age of 71. When Maxine retired she moved to Mesa, Arizona, where she lives and enjoys retirement. Hans' branch on the family tree is large and growing. There are four children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. To what extent posterity continues can not be predicted but we now have the fifth and sixth generations of Haugens in America.
Source: Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 135