The Funeral Mass was recorded and viewed at: https://youtu.be/uuLv4KYCLpo

John Hager, 95, passed away peacefully with family at his side on January 31, 2022.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Selz, ND.  Visitation will be Friday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.  with a rosary and prayer service following at 5:00 p.m. at the Hertz Funeral Home in Harvey.  Burial will be in the spring in the church cemetery.

John was born September 14, 1926, the son of Joseph and Johanna (Scheet) Hager in rural Esmond.  John was the second of ten children.  He grew up and attended country school in Esmond.

On October 11, 1949, he married Eleanor Wentz at Little Flower Catholic Church in Rugby.  John and Eleanor farmed in the Wolford area until 1964 when they moved to their farm northwest of Selz.  They owned and operated their family farms in both the Selz and Rugby areas for more than 50 years.  They raised their five children on the farm.

John's greatest passions were family and farming.  He valued hard work.  He woke early and was out late in the fields or in the shop, tinkering or fixing something.  The farm was the place he and Eleanor gathered with family and friends.  He loved the land and sharing the farm experience with his grandkids and great grandkids, always making time for them.  They adored Grandpa.

When John chose to cut back his farming operation, he rented his land to neighbors who cared for it the way he did.  He then spent his mornings with friends around the breakfast table in Harvey.

Following the death of Eleanor in 2014, John moved to Grand Forks to live with family.  He spent the last three years of his life at Valley Senior Living where he enjoyed daily visits from family and challenged many visitors to card games.

John was preceded in death by Eleanor, his parents and son, Mark, who passed away in 1974, brother William, sisters Katherina Ripplinger, Philipina Bertsch, Mary Carlson, Julia Arrowood, Delores Dutenhafer and Rose Weigel.

John will be remembered and missed by many.  He is survived by four daughters, Donna (Roger) Altepeter of East Grand Forks, MN, Lenora (Greg) Bottum, Granite Bay, CA, Bonnie (Donald) Jundt, Grand Forks, ND, Linda (Rick) Lessard, West Fargo, ND.  He had twelve grandchildren, Kristopher Altepeter in Bismarck, ND, Adam (Jenna) Altepeter, Plymouth, MN, Lindsey (Ryan) Martens, St. Andrews, Canada, Carolynne Bottum, Davis, CA, Katharine (Rick) Harrison, Albuquerque, NM, Genevieve Bottum, Roseville, CA, Jeremy (Rebecca) Jundt, East Grand Forks, MN, Ryan (Tasha) Jundt, Grand Forks, ND, Tarrah (Jeff) Baars, Mosinee, WI, Jennifer, Andrea and Scott Lessard in West Fargo, ND.  They have eighteen great grandchildren; Adelyn, Eliana, Presley (Adam Altepeter), Blakely, Kyla (Lindsey Martens), James, Matthew (Katharine Harrison), Alexis, Benjamin (Genevieve Bottum), Christian, Nicholas, Leah (Jeremy Jundt), Harper, Hadley, Hayden (Ryan Jundt), Hannah, Julia, Griffin (Tarrah Baars).   He is survived by two sisters, Helen Miller, Buffalo, MN and Tina Brengman, Parish, FL.