Jean Mae Hagen Paulson, 93, died of natural causes on Sunday, March 15, at Trinity Hospital in Wolf Point, Montana, with her two daughters at her side.
She was born on May 1, 1915 to Frank and Minnie Nelson, along the Missouri River just north of the old Nickwall School, in a cabin which still stands today. She attended school in Poplar, Montana and completed high school there in 1931. Jean attended Intermountain Union College in Helena, Montana for three years. There she survived a major earth quake, which demolished school buildings, moving the class to a church in Great Falls, Montana. She told vivid stories of dancing and being knocked down by an undulating gym floor prior to evacuation. After graduating with her teaching degree, Jean taught high school for six years, in Rosebud, Valier and Ronan. Having begun school early and skipping fourth grade, some of her older students were her age or even older. She taught English and Latin. She also taught typing and shorthand her last year. Then Jean visited a girlfriend in California and worked there three years in a law office. During World War Two, Jean served in the Red Cross, stationed in Edmonton, Sitka and Anchorage and stories of Alaska influenced her eldest daughter to later make that her home.
On June 14, 1946, she married Olaf Rudolf Jonathan Hagen (O.R. Hagen) of Poplar and settled there, working and raising a family. She was a loving wife and mother and was very active in the community. She helped begin and was very active in St. John’s Lutheran Church, teaching Sunday school, playing the piano, singing in the choir, attending meetings and potlucks and the Ladies’ Aid, helping with all the Christmas Programs and attending monthly Bible Studies. She created kindergarten in her home and became a Girl Scout Leader. She also loved to play bridge, nurture flower gardens and sewed many of her family’s clothes. Jean was passionate about photography, developing pictures in the basement of her home and tinting portraits of friends and family by hand. She also painted in oils and other media for many years and took up knitting and crocheting. She liked to bowl and also loved to travel. She created the “55+ Club” for seniors and liked to entertain and visit family and friends.
Olaf preceded her in death March 31, 1980 and several years later Jean moved to Great Falls to be near her siblings. On October 10, 1987 she married Norman Paulson, a long-time family friend, and they moved to Sidney, Montana. He preceded her in death February 26, 2000 and Jean moved into Harada House near Wolf Point, where she resided until being admitted to the hospital, five days prior to her death.
She is survived by sister Margaret Graff (Ellsworth ) of Chester, Montana; daughters, JoAnn Hagen (Jon Lillevik) of Kenai, Alaska and Janice Holen (Bob) of Wolf Point, Montana; grandchildren Chris Holen (LaToya), of Wolf Point; Severin and Synneva Hagen-Lillevik of Puyallup and Tacoma, Washington, respectively; great-grandchildren Christean, Lanie and Cole Holen of Wolf Point; nieces and nephews Dr. Robert Nelson (Fern), Linda Appelgren, Greg Graff (Judy), Marlin Graff (Ann) and Glenda Woods (Leroy).
Cremation has taken place and the memorial and burial will be Friday, May 8, 2:00 PM at the Poplar City Cemetery, with Pastor Greg Holler-Dinsmore officiating. Clayton-Stevenson memorial Chapel has handled arrangements for burial. Memorials maybe sent to the charity of your choice or Alzheimer’s Association, Montana Chapter, 3010 11th Ave. N, Billings, Montana 59101 or St. John’s Lutheran Church , 216 E St. West, Poplar, Mt. 59255.