Brenda Louise Haugen (Nee Wilson) 80, passed away on March 12, 2024, at her home in Van Meter, Iowa surrounded by her family.
Brenda Louise Haugen (Nee Wilson) was born the eldest daughter to Ed and Jewell Wilson in Glendale, Kentucky on April 14th, 1943. Her little sister and partner in crime, Betty, would join their family several years later. The family of four lived in many places during their early years, as Brenda’s father was in the army branch of the military. They enjoyed an extended deployment in France, where Brenda attended high school in Poitier. Being immersed in French culture, Brenda became fluent in French and, due to frequent relocations, she developed a lifelong love of travel. After returning to the states, the Wilson family finally settled in California, where Brenda later met her husband and started a family. She retired from AT&T after a career as a long-distance operator and customer service representative.
Brenda was an individual of many talents and passions. She enjoyed country living and had a prolific green thumb! She had a huge vegetable garden every summer and preserved the harvest for family and friends to enjoy the fruits of her labor. She also loved nurturing her flower gardens and house plants. Brenda took great pleasure in the beauty of the natural world around her and could name all manner of wild plants, flowers, trees and shrubs, animals, and birds. She was an excellent cook and baker. Everything she prepared was made from scratch and serving delicious food to her family was a way that she expressed her love and devotion to them. Brenda was a voracious reader and furthered her knowledge of the world and her interests by educating herself through books. She would read anything and loved to share what she had learned with others. From the comfort of her living room, she was a daily contestant on her favorite game shows- Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. She cheered on her revered Green Bay Packers and Iowa Hawkeyes in basketball and football. Brenda loved music and enjoyed a wide range of genres. She couldn't help but sing along to each song and dance to every beat! Her family was her greatest accomplishment.
She always looked forward to spending time with her sister, husband, daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and her extended family. Brenda got a second chance at love with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Always showing an interest in their lives by supporting their unique and varied interests, she endeavored to attend as many of their activities as time and distance would allow. She never missed sending them a card to mark birthdays, Christmases, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and other important occasions in life. Brenda was very proud of all her family, and they are her legacy. She passed peacefully after a short and courageous battle with brain cancer on March 12, 2024, at her home in Van Meter, Iowa surrounded by her devoted husband and daughters.
Brenda was preceded in death by her eldest daughter Kimberly Lynn Rigot and son-in-law Mike Rigot and by her parents Leslie Edward and Thena Jewell Wilson. She is survived by her loving husband of fifty years, Dennis Haugen; her three daughters-Kelli (Dave) Minard, Kara (Gary) Baird, and Jenny (Jeff) Naylor; her six grandchildren-Brandon Burbank, Tyler Baird, Levi Rigot, Olivia Naylor, Gabriel Naylor, and Evangeline Naylor; two great grandchildren- Paxton Baird and Fallon Baird; her beloved sister, Betty Denton and nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to extend their sincerest gratitude to the exceptional doctors and nursing staff at MercyOne Medical Center Downtown (ICU and 6N) as well as Brenda's team from Hospice of the Midwest. Any memorial or contributions can be made to one of Brenda's favorite charities, Operation Smile.