Violet Doris Haagen

Pat was born May 28, 1924, in Garwood, New Jersey. Her parents were Peter Peck Stokey and Mary Gertrude Norris Stokey. She was the youngest of 7 children. At 6, her family moved to North Babylon, Long Island, New York. Her father built a house with no utilities and later they got water and 3 years later electricity. She had a ¾ mile walk to the bus stop to get to school. At age 10, she moved in with her older sister Jean Drake and her husband James.

She graduated from North Babylon High School, where she met Harry Haagen, her future husband of 64 years, who had a locker next to hers. After graduation with the war going on, she worked for Grumman Aircraft in the wiring department, where she was a true “Rosie the Riveter”. She left there after her marriage to Harry on May 13, 1944. She had saved enough money to buy her first house which was furnished for $3500 and had her first-born Peter and then Donald there. Having only 2 bedrooms, Harry bought land and built a house near schools. Jerilyn (Jeri) and Gary were born there. In 1951 they moved to Fort Worth, where Harry went to work for a work friend, Frank Koenig at Hicks Field, living in an old military apartment. Eventually, they moved to a house on Eagle Mountain Lake. During that time, they took in Carol, the 13-year-old daughter of a first cousin and raised her as their daughter.

Pat became involved with the PTA at Eagle Mountain Elementary School.  She served as PTA president and worked on the consolidation of the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw School District and getting Boswell High School built. She was involved with the kids going to Saginaw Jr. High and then Boswell, serving as first president of the Boswell PTA. The family attended St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and later helped found St. Elisabeth’s Episcopal Church, where she was Sunday School teacher, acolyte mother, Altar Guild member and kitchen manager. She and Harry were sponsors for the youth group. She served as a delegate to the Diocese convention for many years.

As the children became older, she went to work with Harry as a purchasing agent and secretary. At that time, they bought a new house on 10 Mile Bridge Road in North Fort Worth. She later went to work at Sears as a secretary. She left Sears in 1969, when they were offered a job managing Jett’s Petting Zoo since Harry had help build many of the rides used by the Zoo and was often called on to repair them. Harry took care of the 5 trucks, rides and employees and Pat managed the ticket booth, money and the animals’ diet. They worked there for 10 years traveling to shopping centers west of the Mississippi River. They usually had 2-3 weeks in DFW, so the families got to visit them. After leaving the zoo, they started spending the winters in Florida close to her relatives. They bought a house in Arlington, where she loved to host parties.

They stayed active at St. Elisabeth’s, but also spent time with Peter at St. Alban’s where she developed many long friendships. There she joined Cursillo, became a regular volunteer and started a few prayer groups. After Harry died in 2008, she sold their home and moved into the attached apartment Peter had for her. She transferred to St. Alban’s shortly afterwards, as it was a long drive to west Fort Worth. Peter took her to church with most of his family and they always went out to eat afterwards. Pat continued to group, becoming a friend and mother figure to many. Pat had a card ministry and would send cards to friends, church members and family.  She was a “Prayer Warrior” and had several people give her their special prayer requests.

Pat loved “collecting” Priests and Bishops and had many close friendships through the years. She loved Christmas and other family gatherings. Peter’s family always had a large group opening presents on Christmas day and she loved being around the family as they opened their gifts. She also had a big get-together after Christmas for the rest of the family where she made her lasagna and cheesecake.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, her 6 brothers and sisters Milton Stokey John Stokey, Jean Drake, Warren Stokey, Kathriyn Keekey, Peter Stokey, Harry, her husband of 64 years, and her children Carol LeFan and Gary Haagen. She is survived by son Peter and his wife Beverly Haagen of Arlington, son Don and his wife Gail Haagen of Arlington and daughter Jeri and her husband Mike Corley of Garland, 17 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, 18 great-great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-great-grandchildren, plus numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at Calvario Funeral Chapel, 111 West Northside Drive, Fort Worth, TX on Thursday, Feb 9, 5-7 PM. The service will be Saturday, Feb. 11th at 2 PM at St. Alban’s Anglican Church, 911 South Davis, Arlington, followed by a short reception and Interment at Oakwood Cemetery at 4:30PM in Fort Worth. The service will be available on Facebook at “St Alban’s Anglican Parish” (Arlington, TX).

In lieu of flowers and memorials, gifts can be given in her memory to Pat’s favorite charity, the Lakota Indians in South Dakota, St. Joseph’s Indian School, PO Box 300, Chamberlain, S.D., 51326.