June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
Dr. Burton LeRoy Haugen
b. Sept. 9, 1950 d. Feb. 1, 2018
Dr. Burton LeRoy Haugen
A memorial service for Florida family and friends was held Feb. 3 at Crystal Bay Mobile Home Club, Palm Harbor, Fla. A memorial service will also be held in Walker this summer.
Burton was born Sept. 9, 1950, in Detroit Lakes, to Janice and LeRoy Haugen. He was raised on his family's dairy farm outside of Lake Park, along with his sister Becky and brother Joel. A baby brother, Jeffrey, died of leukemia at the age of 18 months. This, along with the example set by his local family doctor, led him to become a physician.
After graduation from Lake Park High School in 1968, he attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis after which he joined the Peace Corps, serving in the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific. During this time, he was accepted into the University of Minnesota Medical School, followed by a residency in Family Practice at North Memorial Medical Center. He moved to Walker in July of 1983 where he practiced for 33 years before retiring in October of 2016.
Burton and Rollie met in high school, sitting next to one another in band, and were married in August 1975. They were blessed with three children, Jeffrey (Andrea), Kerstin (Doug Kemp) and Brett. The current loves of his life were their grandchildren, Emma, Elsa and Kassandra. He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews that he loved.
Although he served on various professional boards and committees, his real legacy is the care he gave to all he met. He served with great humility, compassion and generosity and was loved by his patients and staff, and his community and church. Burton and Rollie's home was a place of hospitality.
His interests were many -music, hunting, fishing, grilling, travel and spending time with friends and family, and he looked forward to pursuing them during retirement. The book he was reading at the time of his death was "The Book of Joy," by Archbishop Desmond TuTu and the Dalai Lama, which he read on the beach while on vacation to Akumal, Mexico, just a few weeks ago. He wanted to understand joy and enrich his life as he entered retirement. He did not get to finish the book, but he was living joy and spreading joy to all of us.
Burton's legacy and generous love for others with live on. His liver and lungs have been transplanted into grateful recipients.
Memorials can be given to the Hope Lutheran Church Endowment Fund, Walker, Minnesota 56484.[[In-content Ad]]
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