Name/Title
Hagen family: Lila Irene Hagen (Mrs. Ordean Smith), residents of Hillsboro, Traill County, NDEntry/Object ID
2025.28.1Description
This family history file folder contains a number of images and documents on the lives of Lila (Hagen) and Ordean Smith [photo, left]. Their lives are briefly summarized below, thanks to information kindly provided in a Public Member Tree in Ancestry.com titled: Ackerman/Kneip/Fleischer/Hagen Family Tree, which as created by Jackie (Ausk) Baumgartner. Lila was Jackie's great great aunt. For details about Lila Hagen and Ordean Smith, explore their profiles and timelines in this family tree.
Lila Irene Hagen was born on 15 July 1910 in Hillsboro, Traill County, ND, to parents John and Hannah (Larson) Hagen [see TCHS Catalogit Family History entry 2025.25.1]. As a child [photo, below], Lila was raised with her family in a house on Fifth St. in the City of Hillsboro, where Lila attended school.
In the 1920 US Census was taken on 7 January in Hillsboro, Lila was 8 years old and lived with her family in a rented house on Sargeant Street. In 1920, Lila's father, John Hagen, was working as a house painter.
In the 1930 US Census, Lila was 19 and was still listed with her family in the City of Hillsboro. In 1930, her father continued to work as a house painter.
On 15 December 1931, Lila Irene Hagen, 21, married Ordean Smith, 27, of Hillsboro [ELCA Marriage Rec.]. They married in Fergus Falls, Minnesota [wedding photo, left]. Interestingly, in 1934, Lila's sister, Hazel Hagen married Ordean's brother, William Smith.
Ordean Smith was born on 2 February 1907 to parents Peter K. and Manda (Olsen) Smith in Caledonia in Traill County, ND. By 1910, Ordean, age 7, had moved with his family to a farm in Williams County in northwestern ND [1920 US Census]. In the 1920 US Census, Ordean was 16 and recorded on his parent's farm in Big Meadow Township in Williams County, ND. But, as a young man, Ordean came back to Traill County.
After Ordean and Lila married in December 1931, they lived on Sargeant Street in the City of Hillsboro, while Ordean was doing "Concrete work" in construction [1940 US Census]. On 10 Feb. 1941, Ordean enlisted in the National Guard in Hillsboro. On his 1942 WWII Draft Card, Ordean was employed by the US Works Progress Administration in Traill County. In the 1950 US Census, Ordean, 47, and Lila, 39, continue to reside on Sargeant St., while Ordean worked in a "Potato warehouse".
By 1950, Ordean and Lila had six children, all born in Hillsboro: Betty Jane Smith (b. 29 Jun. 1932; m. Edward Roy; d. age 42, 1 Sep 1974 in Stevensville, MT), Mary Smith (b. 25 Dec. 1934; m. Ben Buntjer in November 1982; living in Billings, MT), Orville Lester Smith (b. 28 Dec. 1936; m. Mary Hoefs, 21 Mar. 1964 in Billings, MT; d. age 83, 3 Dec. 2020 in Englewood, Colorado), Gloria Smith (b. Nov 1939; m. Gilbert Schak; living in Spokane, WA), Darrell Smith (b. abt. 1944; m. Lonie; living Missoula, MT), and Jerry Paul Smith (b. Mar 1950; m. Rebecca Flink, 4 May 1974 in Missoula, MT; living in Missoula). For details on the lives of Ordean and Lila's six children, examine their profiles in the Ancestry.com Public Member Tree by Jackie (Ausk) Baumgartner: Ackerman/Kneip/Fleischer/Hagen Family Tree, and also the Gunderson-Smith-Ike-Valtinson-Aubo Family Tree by MilfredS.
In 1958, Ordean and Lila (Hagen) Smith took their family to Missoula, Montana [obit info], where they lived for over 20 years. In 1979, Ordean and Lila moved to Billings, MT, where they lived to retirement [photo, below]
Ordean Millard Smith died, age 88, on 8 February 1991 of lung cancer at the Deaconess Medical Center in Billings [MT Death Certif.; obituary, The Billings Gazette, 10 Feb. 1991, below]. Ordean and Lila had lived on 14th St. W. in Billings. Ordean was a retired carpenter. Ordean was interred at Terrace Gardens Cemetery in Billings [grave-marker photo, below].
Before her husband died in 1991, Lila (Hagen) Smith had resided in St. John's Lutheran Home in Billings for a number of years [obituary, The Billings Gazette, 7 Dec. 1994, below]. Lila passed away, age 84, on 6 December 1994 at St. John's Lutheran Home. Lila was interred next to Ordean at Terrace Gardens Cemetery in Billings [grave-marker photo, below].Acquisition
Accession
2025.28Source or Donor
Jackie (Ausk) BaumgartnerLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
