Obituary of Arthur William Hagen

Arthur William Hagen passed on from this world on December 12, 2011 at the age of88. The youngest of seven children, Arthur was born August 29, 1923 to Norwegian immigrants in the township of Blooming Prairie in northwest North Dakota. Drought and a sudden infestation of grasshoppers caused years of poor crop output, and when Arthur's family could no longer make payments on outstanding loans, the bank foreclosed on the family farm, forcing Arthur, his parents and his siblings eventually to relocate to Camas, WA. In 1942, a year before his subsequent enrollment in the United States Army, Arthur graduated from Camas High School. Following the onset of World War II, Arthur spent over two years deployed in the South Pacific as part of Air Transport Command. With the end of the war, Arthur returned to Camas to work as a machinist at Crown Zellerbach paper mill, where he would work until his retirement in 1985 and meet his future wife of over 60 years, Hilda. They would go on to have five children, all sons. In his leisure time, Arthur enjoyed fishing, bowling, golfing, camping, and attending various sporting events around the community. Throughout the years, he remained active in the VFW and was a longtime member of St. Mathews Lutheran Church. Above all, he enjoyed staying home and being with his family. Arthur was preceded in death by his parents Ole and Lena and four brothers and two sisters Arkie, Carl, Harold, Trig, Cora and Florence. He is survived by his wife Hilda, five sons and their wives Bob and Nadia, Mike and Lynnette, Dave and Debbie, Ron and Kellie, and Gary and Shoko, thirteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He will always be remembered and missed. His family would also like to acknowledge his wife Hilda for the devoted care and comfort she selflessly provided in easing his transition from this life. You are loved and appreciated. A graveside service with military honors was held on Friday, December 16, 2011 at 10AM at the Camas Cemetery. A memorial service followed at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Washougal at 11:30AM. Straub's Funeral Home & Columbia River Cremation in Camas was in charge of the arrangements. To send condolences or to sign the online guest book please visit www.straubsfuneralhome.com.