Name/Title
Hagen family: Merlin Joel Hagen, son of John and Hannah (Larson) Hagen, life-long residents of Hillsboro, Traill County, NDEntry/Object ID
2025.31.1Description
This family history file folder has images and documents on Merlin Joel Hagen [photo, left]. Merlin was born on 6 May 1921, was raised and schooled, and lived his shortened life in Hillsboro in Traill County, ND. Merlin was the son of John and Hannah (Larson) Hagen, who were life-long residents of Hillsboro [see TCHS Catalogit Family History entry 2025.25.1].
Merlin Hagen's short life is briefly summarized below from information kindly provided by Jackie (Ausk) Baumgartner in her Public Member Tree in Ancestry.com: Ackerman/Kneip/Fleischer/Hagen Family Tree. Merlin was Jackie's great great uncle.
In the 1925 ND Census for the City of Hillsboro in Traill County, Merlin was 3 and recorded in the household of his parents, John (54) and Hannah (44), and with sisters Hazel (17), Lila (14) Bernice (10) and Amy (7), and brothers Orlen (15) and Norman (12). Then in the 1930 US Census taken in April for the City of Hillsboro, Merlin was 8 and in school while his father, John Hagen, worked as a house painter. In the 1930 census, Merlin's sisters Hazel (22), Lila (19), Bernice (15) and Amy (12), and brother Norman (18) were in the family home located on Sargeant Street.
Merlin graduated from Hillsboro High School with the Class of 1941 [Sr photo, left]. When Merlin registered for the WWII draft on 16 February 1942 at age 20, he declared that he was a "University student". On his draft card, he was described as 5'10" in height, weighting 169 lbs., and had blue eyes and brown hair.
On 1 December 1942, Merlin, age 21, enlisted in the US Army and fought in WWII. Merlin served as a PFC in the Cannon Company in the 405th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Division [US Military Appl. for Marker, below]
We know from a 14 January 1944 news item in the Hillsboro Banner [below] that Merlin had "been confined in the Veteran's Hospital at Fargo with Quinsy" (tonsillitis). The item noted that Merlin had visited his parents, John and Hannah "before leaving for Camp Swift, Tex., to rejoin his unit". Evidently his unit was soon sent to the European front, because it was reported that Merlin Hagen was killed in action in Germany on 18 January 1944 [US Military Appl. for Marker, below]. A memorial and burial service was held at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Hillsboro to honor Merlin's military service on 17 June 1945 [ELCA birth-burial record]. Merlin Joel Hagen was interred in Hillsboro's Riverside Cemetery [grave-marker, below].Acquisition
Accession
2025.31Source or Donor
Jackie (Ausk) BaumgartnerLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
