Dr. Burton Haugen Burton was born September 9, 1950 in Detroit lakes, Minnesota to Janice and LeRoy Haugen. He died peacefully surrounded by his family on February 1, 2018 in Tampa, Florida after suffering a ruptured cerebral hemorrhage on thee 18th green while golfing. He was raised on his family’s dairy farm outside of Lake Park, along with his sister Becky and brother Joel.
A baby brother, Jeffery 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 In Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He moved to Walker in July of 1981, where he practiced for 35 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 of 1975.
They were blessed with 3 children, Jeffrey (Andrea), Kerstin (Doug Kemp) and Brett. The current loves of his life were their grandchildren, Emma, Elsa, and Kassandra. In addition to his wife and siblings, children and grandchildren, he is survived by 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 our community and church. Our 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 Tuu and the Dalai Lama, which he read on the beach on our vacation to Akumal, Mexico, just a few weeks before he died. 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 will live on. His liver and lungs have been transplanted into grateful recipients.
A memorial service for Florida family and friends was held on February 3, 2018 at Crystal Bay Mobil Home Club, Palm Harbor, Florida. A celebration of Burton’s life will be held at Hope Lutheran Church Walker, Minnesota on Saturday June 9, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. A Visitation will be held at Hope Lutheran Church on Friday June 8, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will include a short prayer service at 7:00 p.m.. The celebration of Burton’s life will continue after the Saturday service at Tianna Country Club, Walker, Minnesota.
A private Inurnment will be in Evergreen Cemetery.
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