Jessie E. Haug, age 88, of Willow Lake, died Thursday morning, May 14, 2015, at the Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown. Her funeral service was at 10:30 AM, Monday, May 18th, at the Grace Lutheran Church in Willow Lake with Rev. Keith Garness, officiating. Burial was in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake.
Jessie Ellen Seeley was born at Iona, SD, on February 4, 1927, to Earl J. and Anna M. (Tagtow) Seeley, with the aid of her Grandma Tagtow and an Aunt Belle Seeley.
When she was 10 days old, she came down with pneumonia and wasn't expected to live the night. But Grandma fixed an onion poultice to put on her chest and the next morning she was just fine. As a young girl she attended 8 years of country school, then one year of high school in Iona. The fall of 1942, her family moved to Bryant, SD, where she graduated from high school with the class of 1945. She attended summer school at General Beadle, (which is now Dakota State) in Madison, and then taught in the same country school she had attended as a young girl. But she decided she was not cut out to be a teacher. She was then employed at a cafe in Madison and later the Red Owl Grocery Store in Bryant until her marriage to John E. Haug at the American Lutheran Parsonage in Bryant on October 20, 1949. The couple farmed and ran a dairy farm until the fall of 1973, when they retired and purchased a home in Willow Lake.
Jessie was very active in the Grace Lutheran Church, the GLCW and its circles, and was the pianist for the Sunday School for many years while her children were small. She was also a member of the local Park Ladies Club until health issues forced her to quit. Even though her health prevented her from attending church in person, she still read passages, listened to sermons, and kept her faith alive and strong in her own Jessie way.
In 1986, she was diagnosed as having a form of Muscular Dystrophy which caused her to lose her speech and the ability to swallow. Her illness had actually started in the late 70s however, with the doctors first thinking it was Myasthenia Gravis. After her actual diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy, she used a small machine, called a Lightwriter to communicate with her family and friends and had a gastro-feeding tube put in. As technology advanced, her son Steve was able to get her and iPad. Most older folks shy away from new technology, but not Jessie. She used her iPad to scribe letters, play games, and even communicate socially using Facebook. She could use her tablet as well as a young person. Although she lost her ability to speak, her voice was still as vibrant as ever with the twinkle in her eyes, a wonderful laugh, or a shake of her fist (and if you were really in trouble...a push of a button would send a loud laser beam buzzer your way!) She fought this disease with every ounce of "Heinz 57" in her blood...and she did it with all the dignity she could muster, not once ever whining or feeling sorry for herself. She was an amazing woman and her life lessons are ones that we all will learn from and pass on for many generations.
Though we all loved and cared for Jessie, there was one person in particular that was with her throughout her difficult medical journey and that was her son, Steve. Steve devoted much of his life to being there during her times of need. They were certainly two peas in a pod. Ask anyone, and they would tell you they had a special bond that could move mountains. Steve's loyalty and dedication to Jessie during the years, especially the last few years, is a true testament to the love he had for his mother.
Her greatest enjoyment has been her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Among her hobbies were making scrapbooks, working many kinds of crossword puzzles, collecting Louis L'Amour books, cooking, baking and last but not least, she thoroughly enjoyed watching her Minnesota Vikings football and Twins baseball. She was particularly fond of her Twinkies. She had a love/hate relationship with these boys, but she adored them to the point she even kept "book" for them.
She also was a quilter (each grandchild and great-grandchild received a special quilt at birth) and made many crocheted afghans. In addition to all of these hobbies and pastimes, she enjoyed researching her roots and even writing stories about her life. She even wrote a family history filled with stories, pictures and timelines. This love of history might also account for her uncanny ability to remember every birthday, anniversary and important event including names and places.
She is survived by one daughter, Janice and her husband, Roger Voigt of Rapid City, SD; two sons, David and his wife, Tammy, of West Fargo, ND, and Steven of Willow Lake, SD; four grandchildren, Ryan and his wife, Heather, Leah and her husband, Ryan Davis, and Kendra and her husband, Danny Loftus, all of Gillette, WY, and Bethanie Haug, of West Fargo, ND; eight great-grandchildren, Sean, Alexis, Makynzie, Logan, Cason, Ryder, Rhys, and Cadie; one sister, Marie Hanson, of Sioux Falls, SD; a very special high school friend, Elaine Larsen of Watertown, SD; plus numerous nieces, nephews and a host of relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband John in 1995; her parents; a grandson; sisters Agnes, Belle, Lovania, and Wilma; triplet brothers in infancy; and a nephew.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to CHILDREN'S CARE HOSPITAL and SCHOOL, PO BOX 88236, SIOUX FALLS, SD 57109-8236, which was Jessie's favorite charity, or to a charity of your choice.