Twyla Mae Haugen

Twyla Mae Haugen, a life-long resident of Albert Lea, MN died September 9, 2023 at Good Samaritan Center while in hospice care.  She was 88 years old and a survivor of 4 different cancer variants.

Twyla was born to Albert and Alma (Prytz) Kasper in Albert Lea, MN in 1934. Twyla grew up an only child as her only sibling died before she was born.  She lost her father to Leukemia when she was 8 years old.  She worked as a clerk at the Midwest Sub Dairy Bar, Woolworths, and Wallace’s before marriage. She graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1953 and that November married Gordon (Gordy) Russel Haugen. Together they raised two daughters and were godparents to 13 children.

Twyla loved children of all ages. From 1970 to 1978 she was a teacher’s aide, at both Ramsey Elementary, and Southwest Junior High.  She also volunteered as a girl scout leader and Sunday school teacher.  Twyla and Gordy loved to bowl, play cards and go fishing “up north”.  Halloween was her favorite holiday and birthday, she was always in costume greeting the trick-or-treaters while hosting a drop-in birthday party.  For the past 27 years Wednesday night was dinner night with her niece Dawn (Mark) Thompson. We remember Twyla canning vegetables, learning to sew and making outfits for the family, Hardanger needlepoint, and after arthritis began to set into her fingers, she would crochet things – oh the many potholders she made!  After the death of her husband in 1988, at age 53 she learned to drive. She never remarried. She worked at Wal-Mart from 1988 to 2008 as a greeter, then in the pet department and other areas too. Twyla loved animals. Her Papillon dogs, first Coco, then Spirit, were her beloved companions for many years while Peanut provided comfort through her transition in her last year.  She was very proud to have served as a voter registration officer as long as she was able.  Twyla was a member of First Lutheran Church, the VFW, Eagles, Degree of Honor and Sons of Norway.  

Twyla is preceded in death by her husband, parents and sister, most of her cousins, all of her brother/sisters-in-law, and three nephews.

She is survived by her two daughters, Patti (Doug) Tuttrup, South Carolina and Barb (Marc) Collins of Albert Lea, 5 grandchildren: Spencer Tuttrup, Carson Tuttrup, Tom (Samantha) Collins, Sydney Collins, Bryce Collins, and great grandchildren Addison and Rylee, and several nieces and nephews.