Oscar F. Haake Jr. 1930-2022
Oscar Fred Haake Jr. was called home to his Lord February 3rd, 2022 after living a full life as son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, soldier, neighbor, and friend.
Oscar was born in St. Louis County, Missouri on May 2nd, 1930 to Oscar and Ruth (Brase) Haake Sr. As a child his parents moved to Nashville, Illinois where they grew their family, adding sister Darlene and brother Ron to the family.
In 1946, Oscar Sr and Ruth moved the family to Colorado and started farming two mile west of Brighton on Highway 7. The Brighton farm originally consisted of 160 acres and a few dairy cows.
Oscar was drafted into the Army for the Korean War in September 1951 and served for 2 years in the Corps of Engineers US Army. He often spoke of his time of service and how it shaped his life after his return home in 1953. Oscar was a proud Veteran and was usually seen sporting his Korean War Veteran hat everywhere he went. He taught his great-grandsons to stand at attention and sound off when he called “Auctune (attention)!”
Oscar married Mazell Kramer in 1956. In 1961 they moved the operation one mile east over Pitman Hill. Mazell’s family originally pioneered and settled in the Brighton area in 1859 and she was raised on a farm along the South Platte River on the old River Road. Together Oscar and Mazell brought into the world three children: Bradley Oscar in 1957, Mark Kramer in 1960, and Marla Ann in 1964.
Dairy cows became the primary business over the next 20 years, and by 1980 300 Holsteins and Brown Swiss cows were being milked twice daily. By the late 1980s a beef cow-calf herd and small feedlot to finish out beef calves and dairy steers was added to the additional farm ground when the farm expanded.
Oscar “retired” after Mazell was diagnosed with cancer. He viewed his primary occupation as caring for his wife for the last seven years of her life. They pursued many treatments and traveled extensively in search of a cure. Mazell’s fight ended November 19th, 1994 after 38 years of marriage.
On April 13th, 1996 Oscar married Ruth Wagner and moved to her farm near Wellington, Colorado. Ruth, who had also lost a spouse to cancer, was Oscar’s constant companion for the next 25 years. He described her as “feisty”, and together they traveled and enjoyed events of grandchildren and having great-grandchildren. For decades he was a regular and enjoyed morning coffee at the T-Bar in Wellington. In the fall of 2019 Oscar and Ruth relocated to Wray, Colorado to assisted living. Although Oscar never contracted COVID, the isolation that occurred as a result of the pandemic did take a toll on both him and Ruth.
Throughout his life Oscar enjoyed the fellowship of bible studies and theological discussions with anyone who was interested. His faith was always strong, and even in the last weeks of his life he would venture out to early morning bible studies with men of the Calvary Lutheran Church congregation. He touched the lives – often unknowingly – of many people with the strength of his faith and witness in his savior Jesus.
One of Oscar’s passions was Allis-Chalmers and Moline tractors. He became a collector over the years, accumulating tractors he remembered farming with when he was a child and spent many hours and probably thousands of gallons of fuel hauling them across the country to tractor pulls – events his sons and grandsons often participated in with him.
Oscar was always very active in his community, serving as President of the SW Adams Conservation District, Prime Rib Club, and Adams & Larimer County Farm Bureaus for decades. He served as an elder at Zion Lutheran Church in Brighton and was active in the Korean War Veterans Association the VFW and Adams County Historical Society.
Oscar dearly loved his children, grandchildren and especially the blessings of great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his father and mother, sister Arleen, wife Mazell, nieces Denise and Andrea, stepdaughter Marie, and nephews Dennis and Eric. Oscar is survived by his wife Ruth, sister Darlene (Harley) Lee of Greeley, brother Ron (Margie) of Fort Lupton, children Bradley (Julie) Haake of Holyoke, Mark (Mildred) Haake of Wiggins, and Marla (Brad) Rock of Wray, Sandy (Bill) Wagner/Getz of Alamosa, and Rick (Sue) Wagner of Fort Collins, grandchildren Anita (Chas) Lengfelder, Barbara (Darren) Hinderer, Matt Haake, Jessilyn (Weston) Bugbee, Tessa Haake, Alex (Audrey) Rock, Amanda (Michael) Kerbs, Kate Wagner, Jayne (David) Wagner, and Maleesa (Brandon) Foreside, and 13 great-grandchildren.
Oscar’s Family would welcome memorials to the Lutheran Hour Ministries and Korean War Veterans Association. https://www.lhm.org/give/forms/formgeneral.asp?id=1&cid=&campaign=22CMN20AA https://kwva.us/?page=mem_donate
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Oscar F. Haake, Jr., please visit our floral store.
Published by Tabor Funeral Home and Cremation Services on Feb. 8, 2022.
