John A. Wesen

John A. Wesen, 89, died from natural causes on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at the Valley View Nursing Home in Glasgow.

He was born on June 21, 1923, alongside his twin sister, June, in Mohall, N.D., to Louis and Elvira (Osterberg) Wesen. Shortly after, the family moved to Glasgow, where they began to farm, a livelihood that would extend to generations to come.

Growing up, he and his five brothers and four sisters remained busy with chores from hauling water and chopping wood to milking cows.

During his senior year at Glasgow High School, he was awarded one of 10 ag scholarships by Sears to attend Montana State College in Bozeman. However, his education was cut short when war was declared in 1942. He was selected to return home and manage the family farm while his five brothers went to serve in World War II.

John met Dolores Lee, a school teacher in Glasgow, and they were later married on June 19, 1954. Ten years later, he and Dolores bought the Wesen family farm and raised six children over the course of their 59 years together.

Over the past 40 years, he farmed and ranched with his two sons, Curt and Mike. Because of his love for farming and ranching, he worked in the fields up until the last two years of his life, when he entered the Valley View Nursing Home due to his deterioration from Alzheimer's disease.

He remained involved in his community by serving on boards for the Glasgow School District, Lutheran Church Council, Farm Credit and Sidney Ag Experimental Station.

His hobbies included hunting, rock collecting, bowling, playing guitar, singing, yodeling and spending time with family. He was a wonderful husband, dad, grandpa, neighbor and friend. John touched the lives of many people with his strength of character and generosity. He will be missed dearly.

He was preceded in death by five brothers, Alton, Clayton, Maurice, Paul and Forrest; and three sisters, Vera Melanson, June Kimpton, and Rita Herbold.

Survivors include his wife, Dolores; his children, Curt and his wife, Darcel, Mike and his wife, Tara, of Glasgow, Susan Hausauer and her husband, Dan, of Bismarck, N.D., Joyce of Highlands Ranch, Colo., Donna of Pocatello, Idaho, and Lisa Larson and her husband, Allan, of Savage, Minn .; 13 grandchildren, Jeron Wesen, Cole Wesen, Kara Wesen, Jon Hausauer, Jen Hausauer, Mike Hausauer, Tyler Wesen, MaKenzie Wesen, Anastasia Wesen, Victoria Wesen, Nicholas Larson, Matthew Larson and Joshua Larson; two great-grandchildren, Dallas Wesen and Harper Wesen; and one sister, Myrna Bell, of Sheridan, Wyo.

Funeral services were held Monday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow, followed by interment in the Highland Cemetery in Glasgow.

Bell Mortuary of Glasgow was in charge of arrangements.