Gail P. Haugen Melland, 86, of Edmore, ND passed away, Thursday, June 13, 2024, at First Care Health Center, Park River, ND.
Gail Patricia Haugen was born September 7, 1937 at Langdon, Cavalier County, ND. She was an only child born to Arthur G. and Edna (Gellner) Haugen. She grew up near Nekoma in Billings Township, Cavalier County and attended Billings School #1 for four years, then attended Nekoma Public School graduating at age 16 as Co-valedictorian of her class in 1954. She attended college at Valley City and Devils Lake Mercy School of Nursing graduating as a Registered Nurse in 1957.
Following college, her first job at the age of 19 was at the Edmore Community Hospital as a combination administrator and Director of Nursing. It was here she met her sweetheart Rodney E. Melland. They were married June 7, 1958 at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Nekoma, ND. Rodney passed away July 28, 2022. They were married 64 years, had two children, Natalie and Mark, and spent their entire life farming at Edmore. Gail always said she was a North Dakota woman and except for an occasional visit, they had no yen to become snowbirds after they retired.
Along with her farm wife responsibilities, Gail managed a 41-year career in nursing. The Edmore Hospital closed in 1961 and Gail worked as a staff nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Langdon for 15 years. In 1967 she started working at Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake. After special classes in Minot, she became one of the first nurses to staff the hospital’s newly organized Coronary and Intensive care unit. In 1970, Gail started working for Morrison-Knudson and Assoc. as Nursing Director for the medical complex at the Stanley R. Mikkelson Missile Complex at Nekoma. Following the site building closure, she was employed as Nursing Director by Federal Electric during the Missile site tear-down phase ending in 1978.
From 1981 until 1989 she served as Director of Nursing at Maple Manor Care Center in Langdon. Beginning in 1990, she joined the nursing staff at St. Ansgar Hospital (First Care Health Center) in Park River. She truly enjoyed her position and the staff at St. Ansgar and said it was her favorite career job. She retired in October 1998.
Gail was a civic leader and worked hard for her community. She was the initial instigator of the Edmore Centennial, the Edmore ball park and the Edmore Historical Society and worked diligently for the development of each. She served on the Edmore City Council and taught Advanced First Aid to the Edmore Ambulance attendants for 15 years. As a fundraiser for the ball park, she designed, edited and compiled the Edmore Community Cookbook in 1973. Along with Dorothy Johnson, she designed, partially wrote and edited the 635-page Edmore Centennial History hardcover book in 2001. She also Designed and wrote the Nekoma 75th Diamond Jubilee Heritage hardcover book and St. Edward’s 100th Anniversary book. She received the Governor’s Leadership Award leadership award from Gov. Arthur Link in 1978.
She was avid curler for 35 years and dedicated a lot of time working for the curling club in Edmore. She also liked sports and fishing. She was always available to help others with their medical needs or accidents. Helping friends and giving of herself meant a lot to her.
The most important thing to Gail in this world was her precious immediate family, as well as her extended families.
She was an avid genealogist and helped others as well as tracing her paternal Haugen family in Telemark, Norway back to the year 1265. After a 108-year separation, Gail’s research located many Norwegian family members, especially the Snippen’s. Several have visited her many, many times. She visited Norway three times and in 2002 her family went to BO, Telemark, Norway, for 12 days, which included a 3-day celebration of the Haugen family that brought 400 Norwegians and 40 Americans together. She was honored and recognized as the source that reunited the family from both sides of the ocean.
Due to her husband’s curling success, they traveled to France, Switzerland, Denmark, England, Scotland, Sweden, and Iceland. They also visited most of the western United States and several areas in Canada.
She was preceded in death by her husband Rodney Melland, her parents Arthur and Edna Haugen; her grandparents, Adolph and Gyda (Oyos) Haugen and Jacob and Barbara (Waltz) Gellner; her in-laws, Edwin and Anna G. Melland; her sister-in-law Frances Melland Anderson; a nephew, Steven Anderson and a step-niece, Tamra Studsrud Mahone.
She is survived by her daughter, Natalie Melland, Fargo, son, Mark Melland, Edmore, two grandchildren, Destiny Melland, Fargo and Issac Melland, Fargo, one great grandson, Gardner Melland, Fargo, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dennis and Jacquelyn Melland, Park River; brother-in-law, John Anderson, Lakeville, MN, nephew, Christopher Anderson, Eagan, MN, niece, Kelly Anderson, Brooklyn, NY, step-niece Kimberly Studsrud, Crystal, MN and step- nephew, Jason Studsrud, (Patty), Maple Grove, MN.
Gail’s kindness, generosity, compassion and understanding will be greatly missed by her beloved family and many, many friends.
Funeral services will be held at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Langdon, ND at 2:00 PM on Thursday, June 20, 2024, with visitation one hour before the service.
Visitation at Tollefson Funeral Home in Park River will be Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 5:00 – 7:00 PM, followed by a prayer service at 7:00 PM.
Interment will be at Edmore Community Cemetery at Edmore following the funeral service.
The service will be live streamed on the Tollefson Funeral Home website.
The Tollefson Funeral Home of Park River is in charge of the arrangements.